Around this time of year, we talk a lot about the importance of getting your annual furnace tune-up. But if you’re unfamiliar with furnace tune-ups, you might be wondering whether or not it’s necessary to get one every year. Today we’re going to help you understand why furnace tune-ups are so valuable by answering the question, “What will happen if I don’t get a furnace tune-up.
What will happen if I don’t get a furnace tune-up?
- Your furnace runs a higher chance of breaking down. Furnaces tend to break down when we need them the most because that’s when they are working the hardest. If you don’t have your system inspected every year, your furnace runs a much higher risk of breaking down in the middle of winter because it will be operating with issues that would have otherwise been taken care of during your tune-up.
- Little problems can get much bigger, and much more expensive. Oftentimes, furnace problems start small and get much worse over time. If you don’t get a furnace tune-up, you likely won’t notice problems with your system until it starts acting up. By that time, a relatively small repair that could have been taken care of during a tune-up can turn into a much bigger and much more expensive repair.
- Your home’s air might become unsafe. Furnaces are fuel-burning appliances, so they emit a certain amount of carbon monoxide when they operate. Normally, combustion gases are safely vented out of your home. But if your heat exchanger is cracked, carbon monoxide can leak into your home’s air and create a dangerous indoor environment. Checking for cracked heat exchangers is one of the most important parts of a furnace tune-up, so skipping a tune-up can end up endangering your home.
- Your heating bills will likely be higher. Many of the tasks that we perform on your furnace during a tune-up will allow your system to operate at its peak efficiency levels. The longer you go without scheduling a tune-up, the less efficiently your system will run. That means that your monthly heating bills will be much higher than they should be. Would you rather spend a small amount of money on a tune-up once per year or a lot of money every month on high heating bills?
- Your furnace will not last as long. There is no getting around it: furnaces that have annual tune-ups last longer than furnaces that don’t. So if you want to get the longest life out of your heating system, you must get a tune-up every year.
If you have any questions about what will happen if you don’t get a furnace tune-up, or if you’d like a heating system serviced or installed in your home, contact Jerry Kelly Heating, Air Conditioning, Electrical and Plumbing, your St. Louis furnace repair and installation company. We service the St. Louis area, including towns like Ladue, Lake St. Louis, and Manchester, MO.
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