It’s that time of year again! You know, the time of year to start using your heating system. Yup, that’s right, the year is nearing its end, which means winter is right around the corner. Summer might not seem all that long gone, but you need to think about your heating system and how reliable and effective it’s going to be this year. It’s also important to remember that no heater is immune to problems, but with proper care, you can reduce the number of big heating repair surprises.
That’s right, heating repairs are avoidable. Well, some are—actually, most are! In fact, routine annual maintenance can help prevent up to 85% of the repairs your heating system may ever need in its lifetime. How so? Read on to find out!
Why You Should Schedule Heating Maintenance Annually
The best way to cause problems with a perfectly good heating system is to never have it maintained. Every year you skip this important service, your heater loses about 5% of its efficiency rating. On the other hand, regular tune-ups help your heater retain about 95% of its original efficiency rating. Plus, as we mentioned above, maintenance helps prevent up to 85% of the repairs your heater might need in its lifetime.
Your heater suffers from wear and tear. This is true for any important home appliance. As such, small repair needs will crop up over time, and we’ll alert you to them during maintenance. Take, for instance, your heater’s blower motor. There are motor bearings that hold this motor in place. Due to constant movement, friction occurs, which is why there is lubrication on the bearings, to prevent damage to the motor. When the motor bearings wear down, the friction increases. You’ll need to have the bearings relubricated or even replaced. This is a relatively small repair need when you think about it.
When you ignore this repair need or don’t even know about it because you skipped maintenance, the friction eventually causes the motor to overheat, and the entire furnace or heating system will break down. Now you’re paying for more repairs, and potentially even a whole new blower motor.
This is just one example of how routine maintenance can reduce heating repair needs.
“What Else Can I Do to Prevent Heating Repairs?”
First, if you have a forced-air heating system, change the air filter! The air filter is in place to protect the interior components from dust, dirt, and other debris. But when the air filter gets too clogged up, it restricts airflow. When that happens, your furnace or heat pump might have to run longer in order to achieve the desired temperature setting on your thermostat. This means it draws more power, which is more expensive. But it also causes your heater to wear down faster, and you’ll start to see repair issues come up.
When you’re ready to schedule your next maintenance appointment, give us a call!
For expert maintenance and heating repair in Eugene, OR, look no further than Comfort Flow Heating. Contact us today!
