When you live in Grand Rapids, Michigan, to say that winters get cold is an understatement. From October on through March, your furnace is the most important and frequently used appliance you own. A sudden malfunction can be more than inconvenient when temperatures drop. It can cause discomfort in your home or office and even be dangerous to you and your family.
Your furnace is a lot like your car. It needs annual maintenance by a professional HVAC technician to avoid inconvenient, expensive breakdowns that will leave you out in the cold. You can reduce the need for costly repairs with regular tune-ups to your heating system that will ensure you always have warm air in your space when you need it.
If you’ve ever thought, “where can I get an HVAC tune-up near me,” then Lake Michigan Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing can help. Our furnace technicians understand what a Grand Rapids winter is like and will perform maintenance and repairs to your furnace fast. We don’t want you to suffer the cold any more than you do and will help you educate you whether maintenance, repair, or furnace replacement is right for you.
The Goals of a Good Furnace
When your furnace is well maintained, and you’ve got regular tune-ups scheduled with a trusted HVAC specialist, you shouldn’t have to think about your heating that much. Your home or office should be a comfortable temperature when you turn the heater on, no matter how cold it is outside, and you shouldn’t have to worry about whether your heater will fail on the coldest night.
The right furnace for your space should:
- Keep your home or office warm and comfortable
- Adjust your home temperature with a limited run time
- Use less energy to warm your home and save money
- Keep you safe
With all of the facts above in mind, you still might end up needing furnace repair from time to time. Long winters cause a lot of wear and tear to your heater, so calling an HVAC specialist when you notice a problem is a right thing to do.
What Happens During Furnace Maintenance?
When a trained HVAC technician from Lake Michigan Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing performs annual maintenance on your furnace, it helps to prevent the long-term effects of natural wear and tear. They will review the system’s major parts to see that everything is in working shape and perform any necessary cleaning and replacement tasks. Your furnace maintenance may include a variety of the following tasks:
- A check of the vents and grills for blockages and debris
- A review of the heater exchanger for signs of wear and tear
- System safety controls testing
- Start-up cycle testing
- A blower motor cleaning
- A check flame sensors
- A check of belts for wear and tear
- Lubrication of various parts
- Inspection of all electrical components
- A check and replacement of the air filter, as needed
- A thermostat inspection for continued accuracy and control
- Clean coils and burners
- A review of all valves for leaks
- Voltage tests
Once again, scheduling furnace maintenance and allowing a professional to check all of the many components of your system will keep your system from major failures and breakdowns. Think of it as a doctor’s appointment for your heating system!
What Are the Benefits of Maintenance or Furnace Repairs?
You might be wondering what the benefits are of having an HVAC technician complete maintenance tasks like the ones listed above on a regular basis. A few of the main perks of annual service to your furnace include:
The Safety of Your Family and Clients
It’s important to remember that your furnace uses fuel to heat your home or office, so any malfunction has the potential to involve harmful carbon monoxide or dangerous gas leaks. These are serious problems that a professional HVAC technician should only handle.
Cleaner, Healthier Air to Breathe
When the filters in your furnace are kept clean and replaced on schedule, you breathe in air with fewer pollutants and live in a healthier, more comfortable space. Besides the filters, different parts of your furnace build up dust and other debris that can affect your air quality without scheduled maintenance and cleaning.
Better Airflow for More Efficient Heating
When airflow is reduced or increased by a problem with your furnace, the whole machine has to work harder to warm your home. That puts a strain on all of the heater’s different parts and can cause wear and tear beyond everyday use. When you fix an airflow problem, it can lead to a shorter life for your furnace and leave you scrambling for a replacement.
How Often Does My Furnace Need Regular Maintenance?
Many homeowners wonder whether a furnace tune-up in Grand Rapids, MI, is really necessary. After all, there are so many things to do around the house and office at any given time. If your furnace is new-ish, and it seems to be running well or hasn’t stopped working, it’s an easy thing to forget about.
Seasonal maintenance and annual HVAC tune-ups will help you to avoid costly and unexpected furnace repairs that could leave you without heat when you need it most. Natural wear and tear from use over the year will leave your furnace running less efficiently and cost you money too. Below are the two best times to have regular furnace maintenance done to ensure that you won’t be left shivering.
Before You Turn the Furnace on for the Winter Season
We get it. When winter is over, you don’t want to think about your furnace or its maintenance. The cold is gone, and good riddance. So, HVAC technicians from Lake Michigan Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing think that the best time to have maintenance done is before you turn the heater on when it starts to get cold.
Once a Year Is Best, No Matter What
Maybe that’s a little repetitive, but if you don’t have a furnace tune-up done before the cold season starts in Michigan, then once each year is still best. That will help to ensure efficient heating of your home or office and improve your air quality, too. A working furnace is vital to your health in so many ways. Don’t neglect an annual maintenance visit that will save you the headache of expensive furnace repairs.
Signs That You Need Furnace Repair
Sometimes it’s not easy to tell if your heater isn’t working as well as it used to. Below are some signs that it is time to call the furnace repair experts at Lake Michigan Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing to schedule furnace repairs fast so that your space is as exactly as warm as you want it to be.
- Different temperatures throughout your home or office (warm and cold)
- Your energy bill is higher than before
- The burner flames aren’t working
- The thermostat isn’t correct or isn’t working
Signs That You Need Furnace Replacement
Sometimes new furnace installation is the only way to make sure that your home or office is as comfortable as it can be. If the time has come to replace the furnace in your home or business, then a call to Lake Michigan Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing is your first step. Our HVAC technicians will guide you through the selection process so that you end up with the right furnace to stand up to Michigan winters and keep your space safe and warm.
Remember, if you need furnace repairs or a furnace tune-up in Grand Rapids, MI, call Lake Michigan Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing. Our local, highly specialized HVAC technicians will handle all of your annual maintenance and furnace repair needs. We don’t want to leave you out in the cold.
