In Chicago, winters are nothing to scoff at. You really need to be prepared. This means everything from sealing up drafty gaps to pulling out your hats and mittens from seasonal storage. But it also means getting your HVAC system ready. Have you scheduled your heating maintenance yet this fall? Make sure you do! Here’s what you need to know about it.
Effectiveness
You certainly don’t want to get to the first serious cold (and windy!) snap only to find that your furnace is not producing enough heat, or that the heat is not being evenly distributed, and some spots in your home are staying much too chilly! Having maintenance performed by a trained and qualified HVAC technician will help make sure your system is ready to do its job effectively this winter.
Efficiency
Did you know that a heating system’s efficiency drops each year? It’s true—and the drop is about 5%. But as long as you have maintenance done every single year, you can keep the efficiency just as good as it was when you bought it, at least until the system gets truly old. But why is the efficiency dropping in the first place?
Heating systems have many moving parts. Over the course of the year, it’s easy for things to get just slightly misaligned, which means the system just won’t work quite as well. Your thermostat will keep calling for heat, driving up your electric bill. Moving parts also require lubricant, and over time that wears away. Finally, dust and grit will work their way into the system and cause friction, decreasing ease of movement.
Functionality
We mentioned that you don’t want the first cold snap to find you with a heater that doesn’t work as well as you’d like. But what if your heater didn’t work at all? A breakdown can be not just uncomfortable but dangerous in our climate. Heating maintenance dramatically reduces the risk of repair needs and furnace breakdowns in the coming year, so you won’t need to worry about that!
Longevity
Gas furnaces have a lifetime of around 15 years, but that’s only if they’re properly maintained every year. Spotty, occasional maintenance will cut that life expectancy, and a total lack of maintenance will cause your system to only survive half as long! Don’t replace your furnace after 7 or 8 years if you don’t have to! Electric furnaces can last up to 20 years, but they’re equally vulnerable to a lack of care.
Warranty Compliance
To keep your heating system under warranty—which could save you a lot of money, if something goes wrong and the manufacturer might cover the cost—you need to comply with the warranty agreement. And furnace warranty agreements virtually always require that the system have regular maintenance by a licensed professional.
Safety
We mention this last, but it is of the utmost importance. You need to keep yourself, your family, and your home safe! Depending on the type of heating system you have, a lack of maintenance could leave you vulnerable to gas leaks, carbon monoxide, electrocution, or fire. Don’t risk it! Schedule your heating maintenance in Chicago, IL today.
Contact ServiceMax with any questions about your heating system.