Summer Is the Perfect Time for Annual Furnace Maintenance
During the hot summer months, the last thing you’re probably thinking about is annual furnace maintenance. But this is actually the perfect time of year to get your annual furnace tune-up. Just think about it. If you discover something is wrong with your furnace, you’ll have plenty of time to get it fixed before the cold winter months set in. Here are some of our top reasons why summer is the perfect time to schedule your annual furnace maintenance.
Easier to Schedule
Ever wanted to make an appointment for something, a haircut maybe, only to find out that your stylist is all booked up? Or you have an aching tooth and need to get in to see your dentist, but you put it off for too long, and now you’ll have to wait weeks to grab an appointment? Almost all of us have been there.
It’s no different for HVAC technicians. Summer months are busy for us because it’s when most people call wanting their AC fixed, and winter months can be just as busy if people are having issues with their heat. That’s why late summer is an ideal time to schedule your annual furnace maintenance appointment.
HVAC technicians won’t be so busy that you’re unable to get an appointment. Late summer things start to wind down as we enter the time period between the peak heating and cooling months. Scheduling your annual furnace maintenance during this timeframe will almost guarantee that you won’t have to wait long for a technician to visit your home.
Gives You More Time
The bad news we sometimes have to deliver is that there’s something wrong with your furnace and it’s in need of repair. While that’s less than ideal, what’s even worse is waiting until the winter months to schedule your annual furnace maintenance appointment.
Think about it. What are you going to do if you find out in winter that your furnace is acting up? It could take a day or two to repair a serious issue. Do you really want to be without your furnace for days in the dead of winter? Can you even manage without it?
But if you schedule your annual furnace maintenance in late summer, you have plenty of time before winter to fix any potential issues. It’s better if you have to wait for your furnace repairs when you’re not actually using it, rather than when you need it the most.
Safer for Your Family
In addition to keeping your family’s comfort levels in mind, you should consider the safety of your family as well.
During the wintertime, temperatures can dip significantly, so people use heat sources more frequently. This puts you at risk for CO poisoning because carbon monoxide is present in fumes generated by many common heat sources, including furnaces.
Carbon monoxide is especially dangerous because it’s essentially a “silent killer”—an odorless, colorless gas that often goes undetected. But there are ways to protect your family from a CO threat.
For starters, you should install a CO detector. Just like a smoke alarm would alert you to the threat of a fire, a CO detector will sound the alarm when CO is present in your home. Be sure that once your CO detector is installed, you change the batteries at least once every six months.
Another great way to protect your family from the threat of CO poisoning is by scheduling your annual preventative maintenance in the summer. During your annual appointment, your technician will check to make sure your furnace is operating correctly. As we mentioned before, if there are any issues, your HVAC technician will have adequate time to fix them so that your furnace is in proper working order by winter.
On the other hand, if you want until the winter months to schedule your preventative maintenance, you’re putting your family at increased risk because you may be using your furnace before a technician has had the opportunity to check it out. Don’t take your chances. Schedule your maintenance appointment in the summertime to avoid this risk.
Smarter for Your Wallet
Scheduling annual furnace maintenance is also a smart decision for your wallet. Preventative maintenance can extend the life of your unit and save you from the costly expense of major or emergency repairs. Scheduling your appointment during the summer months also gives you time to consider your options.
For instance, if there’s an issue with your unit, you may decide it’s best to get it repaired. On the other hand, if your furnace is old and outdated, it may be better to replace it altogether. Scheduling your maintenance appointment for the summer gives you the opportunity to thoughtfully consider your best course of action. You can make the decision that will save you more money in the long run, whether it’s fixing the issue on your existing furnace or upgrading to a newer, more energy-efficient one.
In fact, if you want to compare how much an energy-efficient furnace will run you annually and get a sense of the potential cost savings you could benefit from by upgrading to one, ENERGY STAR has a great side-by-side comparison chart to help you get started. The chart even shows the percentage of savings for each energy-efficient model when compared to a standard furnace.
But there’s no pressure to upgrade. If you’ve scheduled your annual furnace maintenance for the summertime, you have plenty of time to decide whether this is the smartest money move you could make.
And if you live in the Portland, Oregon, area, allow us to help. Entek has 75 years of experience in the industry, and we’d love to share even more tips with you about how to get the most bang for your buck when it comes to your heating and cooling needs.