By Brie Greenhalgh | Updated Apr 7, 2022 2:23 PM
Furnaces are typically out of sight and out of mind—right up until cold weather hits. At that point, homeowners hope their furnace is in good working order to help keep the house warm as temperatures drop. While it’s easy to adjust a thermostat, change batteries, and even change filters, there’s a lot more that goes into the process of making sure your furnace is safe and ready to use.
Licensed HVAC professionals are well qualified to identify potential problems with your furnace that can cause it to malfunction just when you need it most. As an added bonus, regular furnace maintenance can help to reduce energy costs by making sure the furnace is running at peak performance. Part of good home maintenance is preparing your mechanical equipment for upcoming seasonal changes, so if you’re ready to get started, keep reading to learn how and why to schedule a furnace inspection after searching for “furnace inspection near me.”
It’s recommended to have an annual inspection done on your furnace to help prevent more costly expenses down the road for emergency repairs. On average, you can expect to pay between $80 and $100 for a furnace inspection. The cost depends on your location, the time of year, the size of your system, and the severity of the problems being inspected. Some companies may also charge an additional trip fee, so be sure to ask about all associated fees when calling for quotes. You’ll also want to ask about the services included, as some companies may not include duct cleaning in a furnace inspection.
You might be surprised to find just how much HVAC technicians can get done during a furnace inspection. They inspect for safety issues as well as performance problems that can be adjusted to help extend the life of the furnace by 20 to 40 percent and make it more energy efficient.
Common problems that HVAC technicians can address during a furnace inspection include:
It’s important to note that some problems with a furnace can’t be solved during an inspection. The technician may need to order parts or complete a complicated repair with the help of other technicians. Furnaces have a lifespan of 10 to 20 years, so if your furnace needs repairs often or it’s reaching the end of its lifespan, it may need to be replaced instead.
There’s a misconception that hiring someone to do a furnace inspection on an annual basis is merely a money-making scheme. In reality, it’s a critical component to keeping your furnace operating efficiently and safely for you and everyone living in your house. Regular furnace inspections are the best way to prevent major malfunctions that can cost a small fortune to repair at the most inconvenient times. And in some cases, the manufacturer’s warranty may require it in order to receive coverage for any potential problems that can occur.
When a furnace breaks down, it’s usually at a time when you need it most. Keeping your family warm with below-freezing temperatures can be a challenge without any working heat source in the house. It could be that you only need to replace the batteries in the thermostat or relight the pilot light, but beyond that, an HVAC technician is needed to get it working safely again. This means you’ll need to ask for a more costly furnace repair rather than an inspection.
Attempting to repair your own furnace without the proper qualifications can void your warranty and potentially cause harm to you or your family. Here are some of the top emergency problems that need immediate professional assistance.
If the furnace is still running, it’s possible that you only need to have an inspection or a tune-up done to get it working optimally again. While many furnace problems can cause it to work inefficiently or stop operating properly, some problems are less of an emergency than others that risk your health. This is helpful—although inconvenient and chilly—since it can often take several days for a repair technician to come solve the problem if they’re extremely busy.
Common problems that are non-emergencies include:
Knowing your furnace will work reliably when you need it is the best way to have peace of mind about one of your most relied-upon mechanical systems. Here are several other top reasons why you should schedule a furnace maintenance service soon.
A homeowner’s responsibility in terms of helping their furnace run well includes making sure the filters are changed every 3 months, checking the carbon monoxide detectors every 30 days, and keeping the furnace room free of dust and clutter. Homeowners can also proactively look for and seal any leaks in the house and attic to help make their house more efficient and insulated. Keeping the house clean and free of dust is also essential for preventing excess stress on the HVAC system. And following the instruction steps on the furnace, an enthusiastic DIYer could even relight the pilot light if it’s gone out.
However, due to the technical nature of furnaces and how they operate, any real maintenance or adequate inspections need to be completed by someone who has been properly trained and certified to do so. Anytime you’re dealing with gas or complicated motors, it’s best to leave it to a pro. With several years on the job, they’ll know exactly what to look for to spot a hairline crack in a pipe or a worn-down part that’s causing the rattling sound. You can rest easy knowing they’ll help you get your system running smoothly each fall. Just do a quick search for “furnace tune-up specials near me” to find a great deal from a local company.
First and foremost, you need to make sure the company only employs licensed and certified HVAC technicians for your state. This ensures they can legally inspect, repair, and handle the materials (like Freon) used in HVAC systems. It’s also best to get quotes from several companies to determine the best price, qualifications, and scheduling that works for you. Beyond these recommendations, here are a few other ways to help make sure you hire the right company after you search for “furnace inspection near me.”
As a homeowner, you want to know your money is well spent on a furnace inspection. Knowing what to ask about a furnace inspection can help you feel more comfortable about the process. Always make sure to ask if the company is licensed, bonded, and insured so you know they’re a company that’s operating legally and wisely.
A basic furnace inspection should be a straightforward process, but it helps to have as much information as possible. Here are the answers to several frequently asked questions.
The cost to inspect a furnace can vary based on your location and the size of the unit, but an average range is between $80 and $100.
You should have your furnace inspected once a year. It’s best to schedule it in the fall, but even better in the late summer before furnace companies are busy.
Furnace inspections or tune-ups really don’t take too long, but they should take long enough. A reputable company should have it done in 1 to 2 hours. If an inspection is completed in 30 minutes, it’s likely that several steps were skipped.
The nature of furnaces using gas and a flame to force air into a house has a way of making people nervous about the potential combustibility of the unit. Fortunately, since these units are so commonly used in homes, they’ve been built to meet many safety standards to prevent such an event from happening. While it is possible for a furnace to catch fire or even explode, it’s an extremely rare event. The risk of leaking carbon monoxide is higher than an exploding furnace. Both of these situations can be prevented with regular inspections and maintenance that detect any potential safety hazards and correct them.
Furnaces should be running without sudden, loud sounds. If you hear booms happening, the furnace probably has a delayed ignition problem. Gas is building up in the combustion chamber without being ignited quickly. When it’s finally ignited, there’s more gas being lit which causes a loud boom. This is definitely not a problem to ignore and will require a furnace repair. This loud boom is not to be confused with some smaller bangs that can happen when the ductwork expands or contracts due to fluctuating temperatures.
Most furnaces last between 10 and 20 years. Frequent inspections and maintenance have proven effective at lengthening the lifespan of a furnace by up to 40 percent.
Sources: Angi, John C. Flood
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