Last winter, I began having some concerns with the operation of my furnace.
I first noticed that the house felt a bit chilly on especially cold days and nights.
I turned up the thermostat by several degrees and still wasn’t satisfied with the level of comfort. Although the furnace seemed to be running just about non-stop, it wasn’t supplying enough hot air to create a consistent and ideal temperature. Shortly after that, the operational noise was suddenly a bit louder and there was a significant amount of dust circulating in the air. When my whole family started sneezing, coughing and complaining of headaches, I knew it was time to take action. I scheduled repairs from a local HVAC contractor. The technician performed a thorough diagnostic testing and inspection of the furnace and determined that the issues were all the result of debris buildup within the inner workings. He asked when I’d last had the furnace service. I was a little embarrassed to admit that I’d never invested in professional maintenance. Other than replacing the air filter every month, I’d totally ignored the upkeep of the heating system. Fortunately, a thorough cleaning and adjustment of all components restored proper functionality. I have now enrolled in a maintenance plan that includes a tune-up for the furnace in the fall and for the air conditioner in the spring. The plan doesn’t cost all that much and is effective at protecting the reliability, efficiency and longevity of the systems. The technician troubleshoots for wear and tear and replaces any worn or broken parts. He tightens electrical connections, lubricates moving parts, tests the ductwork, checks the ductwork and makes sure everything is working as it should.