According to the EPA, as much as half of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling. Making smart decisions on your heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system, such as regular furnace maintenance can increase the efficiency of your system and have a large affect on your utility bills. In fact, studies show that properly maintaining your heating and cooling systems can reduce energy bills by up to 35%!When we turn on our central heating and air conditioning we expect them to be able to deliver the temperature we want to be comfortable in a variety of conditions and to deliver it all day long.

If your HVAC unit is not maintained properly, it may be working too hard or inefficiently to deliver the comfort of a consistent air temperature.We all, of course, want our heating and cooling system to last as long as possible. But just like a new car will decline in performance without regular maintenance, so will your heating and cooling system. According to Energy Star your system will last several years longer with proper furnace maintenance. Many people avoid routine maintenance because of the expected high cost. You can get regular furnace maintenance done on your equipment for around $150/year (and even less with multi-year agreements). Don’t wait until your air conditioner won’t cool or your furnace won’t ignite before you call for service. At this point you’ll typically pay more (because it’s an emergency call) and have to wait (because it’s usually around the hottest or coolest day of the year). Of course if your air conditioning or heating system isn’t working properly or not at all, we can also repair it for you. Then we’ll be glad to maintain it for you because having your HVAC system put on a yearly maintenance schedule will pay for itself in lower repair costs, less aggravation, and more efficient operation.

One of the most important reasons to schedule routine maintenance is for safety – for you and your family. A typical furnace maintenance check-up will include tightening all electrical connections, measuring the voltage and current on motors and checking for small holes in your system’s heat exchanger or firebox. These issues can be very dangerous … even fatal. Faulty electrical connections can cause shorts and unsafe operation, while carbon monoxide leaks or open flames in your living space can create fire or a serious health hazard.According to Carrier, a manufacturer of HVAC systems, proper air conditioning maintenance can help your unit last decades. On the flip side, a neglected air conditioner loses roughly 5% of its efficiency each year that it operates without upkeep. “So that green machine you bought to stay cool could start to function like the most inefficient thing on the market, if you fail to perform regular air conditioning maintenance.” Proper furnace maintenance will increase the longevity of your heating and cooling system and increase the overall comfort of your home year round.