There is a reason – several reasons, in fact – that gas furnaces are so popular in Canada today.
Installing a gas furnace guards against having to shiver through a power outage. Gas is a relatively clean-burning fuel source that delivers high efficiency at an affordable cost.
Today’s cutting-edge gas furnaces are compact and sleek with lots of safety and efficiency features. These help you control costs and customize your home or workplace heating needs.
But gas furnaces need regular timely maintenance and safety inspections to deliver their best performance. Some of the maintenance tasks you can likely handle on your own if you have the time and inclination.
But for many home and business owners, it is easier to simply bring in a professional to do everything at once – safety inspection, preventive maintenance and minor repairs. This is especially the case if you are new to owning a gas furnace and are not sure what to look for and what needs to be done!
In this post, learn about gas furnace maintenance and how it can lower your annual heating bills and improve your indoor air quality.
A Clean Furnace Can Save You Up to $500 on Heating Bills
Too many gas furnaces fail to deliver on manufacturer efficiency ratings due to one simple issue: neglect.
As the Energy Star program explains, dirty components lead to efficiency decreases, health symptoms and a fire risk.
As dirt, dust and debris build up around and inside the furnace, they force the furnace blower to work harder to do the same job. A harder-working furnace is going to require more fuel to run. More fuel means higher energy bills for the same heat output.
One of the easiest ways to keep your furnace clean is simply to change the air filter monthly during heavy-use months.
Not only is a dirty air filter a known home fire hazard, but it also always costs less to replace or clean and reuse the air filter than it costs to buy more power to run your furnace or pay to fix a sudden furnace outage.
The Indoor Air Quality Association states that this type of simple, regular, preventive maintenance can improve energy efficiency by up to 30 percent, which represents an average annual energy savings of $500 (based on current homeowner-reported annual heating costs)!
A Clean Furnace Can Preserve Your Indoor Air Quality
Today, air quality researchers have confirmed a link between burning fossil fuels and indoor air toxicity. This makes preventive furnace maintenance essential for more reasons than just keeping winter heating costs manageable.
In fact, incomplete combustion is one of the leading causes of both toxic indoor air and home fires. Incomplete combustion is what happens when there isn’t enough oxygen to completely consume the fuel source. With complete combustion, the only by-products are carbon dioxide and water.
With incomplete combustion, however, a third by-product is produced: carbon monoxide, along with other sooty particulate matter.
Carbon monoxide is odourless, colourless and deadly. Since the symptoms are subtle and can overtake you quickly, the only way to protect yourself is to install a carbon monoxide detection alarm.
A gas furnace that is operating by complete combustion will demonstrate this with a blue pilot light. A gas furnace that is operating by incomplete combustion will have a yellow or orange pilot light.
SAFETY TIP: It is smart to inspect your furnace pilot light at least monthly during high-use months. If you see a change in the pilot light colour from blue to another colour, power down your furnace and call a professional service technician right away.
Annual Gas Furnace Safety Inspection and Maintenance
Scheduling your annual gas furnace safety inspection and preventive maintenance service is the best way to ensure small repair needs are spotted and fixed before they can turn into a major outage.
As well, if your gas furnace is still under warranty, scheduling this annual tune-up can ensure you keep your warranty active (many warranties require proof of professional annual maintenance when claims are made).
You can expect all of the following to take place during this annual preventive maintenance and tune-up service:
- Pilot light and fuel lines inspected and adjusted
- All belts and pulleys examined for wear and abrasion
- Gas burner, flame sensor and heat exchanger inspected, cleaned and tested
- Electrical connections tested and tightened as needed
- Thermostat accuracy tested and calibrated as needed
- All internal components and parts lubricated, tightened and tested
- Test cycle run and all safety and startup controls checked
- Condenser and evaporator coils cleaned
- Blower and fan cleaned and adjusted, including voltage, amp and fan switch test
- Air filter cleaned and replaced
- All exterior and interior casings cleaned
- Refrigerant level checked
- Vent system, air intake and exhaust vents and grills cleaned and checked
Save 10 Percent on Air Duct Cleaning and Sanitation Through January 31, 2020
If you have never had your ducts cleaned, we recommend scheduling a professional air duct cleaning and sanitation service at the same time you have your furnace maintenance and safety inspection.
Indoor air duct cleaning does for your air ducts what furnace maintenance does for your furnace components.
Our negative-pressure commercial-grade vacuum system safely and securely removes all accumulated toxins, dirt, debris and particulate matter, finishing with a sanitizing treatment to neutralize any remaining harmful pathogens.
Give you and your family the priceless gift of clean, safe, breathable indoor air. Right now and through January 31, 2020, save 10 percent on any of our three popular indoor air duct cleaning packages!
Get in Touch
Is it time to schedule your furnace preventive maintenance tune-up and safety inspection? Are you considering a furnace upgrade, and would you like to learn more about our wonderful line of Napoleon gas furnaces?Contact us online or give us a call at 905-544-2470.
