What Should be Checked During your Fall HVAC Inspection
To keep your family healthy and safe, and to prolong the life of your HVAC system, you should schedule an HVAC inspection twice a year. The first should be in the spring when you are getting ready to turn on the air conditioning and the second should be in the fall before you switch over to heating your home. It is important to go with an established and reputable HVAC company, like Weather Crafters. Our experience and knowledge will ensure that your HVAC is functioning as efficiently as possible. When we complete a fall inspection, we look at 3 major components: efficiency, safety, and operations.
- Efficiency
- Look at: the blower capacitor and blower motor AMP draw, the draw of the inducer motor AMP, the cleanliness of the blower assembly, the draft diverter, and the flue pipe
- Why? Efficiency is important in HVAC systems because it saves money and energy, and it can improve the lifespan of the system. An old or damaged HVAC can still work well enough to heat your home, but you will be paying a lot more for your energy bills. During the inspection, the specialist will make sure that everything is running smoothly. If any problems are discovered, they will be fixed. Catching issues when they are small can save you a lot of time and money. Big fixes are expensive but having your HVAC checked twice a year will reduce the chance of that happening.
- Safety
- Combustibles – the specialist will look for any materials that are considered combustible near your gas furnace (aerosol cans, lighter fluid, paint thinner, different types of oils, beauty products, alcohol-based products). If they find anything they will let you know and move it away from the furnace. This can make the difference if you have a problem, from a small fire to something much larger and more dangerous.
- Gas leaks – the specialist will bring a machine that can detect different types of gas leaks throughout your home. If anything is detected, the specialist will complete further testing and fix the leak.
- Operations
- Ductwork – we check to make sure your ductwork is properly functioning to ensure efficiency. Leaky ducts could mean that cold air is coming in and interrupting the heating system.
- Pilot light – a quick check of the ignitor and pilot light will make sure that your heating system is able to turn on when needed.
- Heat rise – this test checks to see if the furnace is properly heating the air. If the temperature is too low, the heat won’t rise, and that can indicate underlying issues. If the temperature is too high, it could result in a limit switch being tripped and the furnace will turn off to prevent overheating.
Regular inspections and maintenance of your HVAC will help you to keep your family safe and comfortable and lower your monthly bills. Don’t wait until you notice problems with your heating and cooling system – take preventative measures. Call Weather Crafters today to schedule your next visit.
