The Annual Furnace Check-Up: Why Is It So Important?

Your furnace is an important part of your home’s comfort in the winter. That’s why here at Brody Pennell, we encourage every homeowner in Los Angeles to schedule an annual furnace check-up. 

And in reply to our pleas, many people ask “what’s the point of heater maintenance?” Every day we speak to homeowners who say they will see how they fare without annual service and call for repair when the system breaks down. The reality is that a regular checkup on your heater has several advantages you may not have thought about.

Three Reasons To Get An Annual Furnace Check-Up

1) Improve The Efficiency of Your Heater

Regular furnace maintenance can significantly improve the efficiency of your heater. That’s good news for the environment, but also your pocketbook. When your furnace uses less energy, you spend less on utility bills. 

An annual furnace checkup will include ensuring components in your unit are in excellent condition, adequately lubricated, and are working properly. The technician will inspect the unit for problems with any of the furnace’s parts which prevent the furnace from functioning optimally. 

Two furnace inspection items can cause a bigger drain on your efficiency. One is dirty air filters. When air filters are full of dust and dirt, it can block air passage. That forces the furnace to work harder and consume more energy to pull sufficient air. Another example is a blocked exhaust pipe, which prevents passage of exhaust air. Again, that makes the furnace work harder to expel exhaust air. 

During our heating maintenance visits, we replace the air filter, check for a blocked exhaust, and complete several other items on our inspection checklist. With a thorough exam of your furnace each year, our NATE-certified technicians at Brody Pennell can ensure peak performance through the winter.

2) Prevent Surprise Breakdowns and Prolong Furnace Life

Here’s the thing: a furnace does not malfunction on a schedule. A furnace will require repair at the least convenient time, like on the coldest day of the year or when family is in town visiting. With this in mind, you should do everything you can to prevent a furnace breakdown.

Regular checkups are the first line of defense in detecting potential problem spots in your system, so we can rectify those issues before they become a major problem. 

During an annual furnace exam, our team takes great care inspecting your system for possible points of failure. We look for abnormal wear in the system and take care to address those issues. This way, we are proactive about preventing problems. This includes lubricating parts which prevent them from gritting against each other (which can wear them out fast). We will also clean or replace worn out, and dirty furnace parts. 

If you keep your furnace in shape, you can prolong its life by preventing damage and limiting wear & tear. To make your furnace last as long as possible, annual maintenance is a must. The easiest way to make sure your furnace stays in top-notch shape is by signing up for an HVAC maintenance agreement. 

3) Comfort Improvements

Regular maintenance can help ensure the comfort of your entire family for the duration of cold season. Some of the most common comfort problems include:

• Cold spots in the house
• It doesn’t feel warm enough, even when the furnace is running
• Furnace makes loud noises
• Indoor allergies are a year-round bother

All of these items could be attributed back to your furnace,  but may not be the type of thing you’d call in a repair for. A heating maintenance visit is a good time to bring up these problems with your trustworthy HVAC contractor, who can investigate. 

Oftentimes these problems are fixed with our normal maintenance procedures. By inspecting, cleaning, and lubricating the system we can improve system performance, which leads to improved comfort. It could also be a problem with your thermostat. Our team checks thermostat settings at every maintenance visit to ensure your system is working for you to produce maximum comfort levels.

Call Brody Pennell for Your Annual Furnace Check-Up

An annual check-up of your furnace ensures it stays in good shape. That includes performing at peak efficiency, durability and comfort. We’re here to help you make maintenance easy! Trust the experts that have served Los Angeles for over 70 years. Schedule a heating maintenance appointment anytime by using our website chat box or calling us at (310) 896-4911.