ACI Northwest Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Furnace Maintenance’

Can Furnace Repairs Be Prevented?

Monday, October 16th, 2017

male technician working on the inside of a furnaceWe would imagine that in the middle of winter, the last thing you want to do is waste time scheduling repairs for your furnace system. You may be surprised to learn that a large portion of the furnace problems we see during the heating season are actually preventable. Furnace issues are understandably frustrating, and in some cases if they’re ignored they can even be dangerous. We want to help you prevent the most serious of Spokane Valley, WA furnace repair services (although, we are the team to call when you need them!)

We can’t go any further without first mentioning the benefit of preventive heating maintenance—it is essential to prolonging the lifespan of your furnace, lowering your heating bills, and possibly preventing repair needs altogether. Keep reading for our tips on how to prevent your furnace from breaking down or performing poorly.

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Benefits of Furnace Maintenance

Tuesday, October 15th, 2013

Hayden is one of the most beautiful locations in Idaho. However, this far north in the state, Hayden can get deep cold spells, with average winter temperatures in the 20s. You need a powerful and reliable heater, like a furnace. working for you all through these months, because an unexpected breakdown can mean some unpleasant days.

Don’t jeopardize your home heating. The best way to fend off serious trouble with your furnace is to get a regular check-up and tune-up from a Hayden, ID heating maintenance professional. At ACI Northwest, we advise our clients to arrange for annual maintenance on their heater during the fall, when our technicians have less crowded schedules before the deep cold strikes.

Avoiding repairs and a breakdown are only two of the benefits you get from regular furnace maintenance. Here are three others to consider:

Increased lifespan: Machines wear down and eventually stop working—it’s unavoidable. What you can avoid, however, is having them wear down and stop working before their time. Because furnaces contain many moving parts, they are susceptible to wear and tear if not serviced at least once a year so the components can be cleaned or replaced. That one annual visit can add years onto the life of your furnace.

Increased efficiency: When a technician comes to your home to perform a regular maintenance visit, your furnace will receive tests to see that it is drawing enough air and producing the level of heat it should. A buildup of dirt and a clogged air filter can severely cut back on your furnace’s efficiency, which will result in poor heat levels, higher power bills, and probably both. Maintenance will give you better comfort in your home and a break on your bills.

Safety: Contemporary furnace manufacturers build their products with customer safety in mind, so under most circumstances furnaces do not present fire or gas leak hazards. However, if poorly maintained, the possibility of danger increases—especially with a gas-powered furnace. An important step that a technician always takes when examining a furnace is to see if it will operate safely: electrical connections secure, gas burners clean, no evident leaks. Getting maintenance on your furnace is an investment in your family’s safety.

We hope you see that maintenance is vital for getting the best heating in Hayden, ID that you can. At ACI Northwest, we want you to have a pleasant winter in this picturesque part of the state, and our maintenance plans can help you. We offer Premium Agreement and Plus Agreement packages to suit your budget. Contact us today before the temperature starts dropping.

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Did You Change that Furnace Filter?

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

No matter what type of furnace you have, it’s important to remember to change or clean the filter on a regular basis. This is a relatively straightforward process and doesn’t require a Hayden professional‘s help. However, if you’re not sure how to go about doing it, you can always have your heating technician demonstrate the process for you on their next regular maintenance visit.

Indeed, changing or cleaning out the furnace filter is an important part of regular furnace maintenance. However, it often needs to be done more than once a year. The specific amount of time that you can go between filter changes depends on many things, but typically it’s good to check on it once every three months or so.

If you have a lot of pets or if anyone in your family has severe allergies, it may be worth it to check and change the filter even more often. Check with the manufacturer to see what their recommendations are as well. Some high performance furnace filters can last up to six months or even a year, but you should still check on the filter periodically to make sure that too much hasn’t built up on it in between replacements or cleanings.

You’ll need to make sure you have the right type of filter to install as a replacement as well. You can get this information from the owner’s manual of your furnace, from the manufacturer or by taking out and examining the current filter in your furnace. Some furnaces also have filters that are meant to be cleaned and then put back in and the cleaning instructions are usually located near the filter itself.

Of course, in order to change your filter you’ll first have to be able to find it. Most of the time, the filter will be located near the blower towards the bottom of the furnace. However, if you’re not having much luck finding it, your owner’s manual should be able to tell you quickly where it is and how to remove it. Before you go to open the chamber and take the filter out, however, be sure you’ve turned off the power to the furnace.

Changing your furnace filter can help improve the air quality in your home and it is also very important when it comes to keeping your furnace running efficiently and effectively. The filters are there to trap airborne particles that can get into the blower and clog it up. When that happens, the performance of your furnace will likely drop and you’ll need to have a professional come out and complete the necessary repairs.

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Why You Should Have Your Furnace Serviced Every Heating Season in Colburn

Monday, November 7th, 2011

Particularly if you’ve just purchased a new furnace for your Colburn home, maintenance is  probably not something you think about all that much. As long as it works when you need it to, that is. Unfortunately you usually find out that something is wrong with your furnace just when you need it most. However, there is a way to avoid that kind of problem, and many others, and that’s to have regular maintenance service performed on your furnace by a home heating professional every year.

One of the main reasons to have your furnace serviced is that it allows technicians to catch small problems before they become large ones. During a typical maintenance visit, a technician will examine all parts of your furnace to ensure that they are still in good working order. He’ll also thoroughly clean out the unit to make sure there are no buildups of debris that could cause problems or impede the furnace’s energy efficiency.

And if they do find something wrong like a part that’s beginning to wear out or something that just isn’t working properly, the technician can make the necessary repairs right away. You can get the problem taken care of ahead of time and you won’t have to worry about going without heat during the coldest part of the winter.

That’s not the only reason that annual maintenance is important and beneficial, however. It can also help you save money, both on your monthly energy bills and in the long term. That’s because annual maintenance tune ups keep your furnace functioning at peak efficiency levels longer than they would be able to otherwise.

A typical furnace will lose a small percentage of its energy efficiency every year, and while it won’t seem like a lot at first, that can really add up over the course of a couple of years. With regular maintenance, though, you can often maintain up to 95% of your furnace’s original efficiency for the life of the furnace.

Plus, when the proper maintenance and service is performed on a regular basis, your furnace will simply last longer. Most furnaces purchased now will last between 10 and 15 years, and with proper care, you can help to ensure that your furnace reaches the upper limit of this span or even beyond.

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