Importance of Heating Maintenance
During times of severe winter weather, heating systems are essential for keeping every comfortable and safe. Unfortunately, having a functional heater in your Kansas City home is hardly enough. If you aren’t doing all that you can to properly maintain this equipment, it may fail right when you need it. Without proper care, this important building feature can lose efficiency, underperform, or not perform at all. Following are five reasons why regular heating system maintenance is absolutely essential.
1. Well-Maintained Heaters Work Better and Cost Far Less to Use
You aren’t getting optimum value from your heater if you aren’t taking good care of it. Worse still, poor maintenance often causes homeowners to pay far more to use this equipment than they actually have to. This remains true even for those who’ve spent top dollar to get the latest and highest-rated furnaces they can afford. As dirt, dust, dander, and other elements build up within these systems, they have to work harder to push hot air to all areas of the home. In fact, one of the surest signs of insufficient heater maintenance is a sudden spike in home energy bills.
The extra work that your heater does when it’s overwhelmed with trapped debris won’t just cost you more now; it will also drive up your spending in the future. Extra wear sustained due to insufficient maintenance will gradually diminish the lifespan of home heating equipment. In many cases, this means having to pay for a brand new heater even though the one that’s already installed is built to last far longer.
2. Indoor Air Quality Will Decline With Insufficient Heater Maintenance
Maintaining every aspect of your HVAC system is important for ensuring an acceptably high indoor air quality (IAQ). If your cooling system isn’t properly maintained, you’ll have more allergens and other potentially harmful particulates circulating throughout the indoor air during the warmer spring and summer months. The major difference with heaters, however, is that these systems are often used continuously both day and night, and during a time when people rarely open their windows or doors to ventilate their living environments. Late fall and winter are also the times when people remain largely indoors. Thus, not only will your IAQ suffer, but you’ll also be around more often to be affected by it. This can be especially problematic in households where people have:
- Asthma
- Allergies
- Frequent chest infections like bronchitis
- COPD
- Other respiratory conditions and illnesses
A low IAQ can also be dangerous for newborn babies, aging adults, and anyone with a compromised immune system. At the very least, from constantly itchy, watery eyes, to persistent dry coughs and runny noses, having too much debris being circulated throughout the living space can greatly decrease resident comfort.
Additionally, it’s important to note that modern heating systems perform three distinct functions: heating, humidity regulation, and air purification. All of these capabilities will decline as wear increases and maintenance is continually overlooked. Over time, problems with excess moisture throughout the home can lead to condensation on the windows, mold and mildew development on various building materials, and many other humidity-related problems.
3. Routine Inspections and Service Can Prevent Minor Issues From Spiraling
Most people shirk maintenance because the costs of paying for professional inspections and tune-ups don’t initially seem worthwhile. After all, if a heater is still running, there must not be anything wrong with it. Sadly, this logic can lead to expensive repair bills that could have been easily avoided.
During tune-up services, HVAC technicians have the opportunity to catch and correct minor problems before they spiral. Worn and damaged parts are replaced before they affect other components and before significant wear is sustained throughout the entire system. Dirt, dust, and other build-ups are removed before they result in overheating, excess wear, and decreased efficiency. These visits save homeowners cash all-around, and they’re always worth the necessary spending.
4. Heater Service Offers the Perfect Opportunity to Assess Your Heater’s Age
If you purchased existing construction that already had a boiler or furnace installed, you may not know exactly how old it is, or the length of its remaining lifespan. During system cleanings and tune-ups, your provider can give you an estimate of how long your current heating equipment is likely to last. Being able to plan in advance for a heater replacement is far easier than finding out that you have to pay for one in the middle of winter. Not only can you budget for this project, but you can also avoid being without heat during the very time that your family needs it most. Best of all, you’ll have plenty of time to carefully review all of your options in home heating equipment, and can choose a model with all of the features and capabilities that you want and need.
5. You May Be in Danger of Losing Your Heater Warranty
One of the best reasons for having routine heater maintenance is performed is the fact that it may be necessary for preserving your manufacturer’s warranty. If your heater is in a noticeable state of disrepair when it malfunctions or breaks down, and if you lack a clear set of maintenance records, the manufacturer may be unwilling to honor your warranty at all. These agreements have provisions for both parties. While heater manufacturers must replace damaged or worn parts throughout the lifespan of these agreements, homeowners themselves are obligated to adhere to a certain standard of care. This includes routine filter changes according to the manufacturer’s recommendations and having regular inspections and tune-ups performed.
6. Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
If you want to lower your carbon footprint, you should start by maintaining your HVAC system. This feature likely accounts for the greatest portion of your home energy use. Although decreased efficiency will be most noticeable in your home heating bills, it will also greatly increase the toll that everyone in the house is having on the natural environment. A well-maintained and efficient heater should be able to keep everyone warm without using up a tremendous amount of energy.
7. Enjoy Reliable Heating Equipment
Heaters are far more reliable when they’re well-cared for. When these units are turned on, they operate both quietly and efficiently. They don’t make strange clanging or banging noises, and they don’t emit pervasive burning or dusty smells. Everyone in the home can breathe easily, and energy costs remain at a consistently moderate level.
People who neglect heater maintenance are constantly poised for unpleasant surprises. They might turn their thermostats all the way up only to realize that their heaters won’t turn on at all. They may run their heaters for hours with no real noticeable change in indoor temperatures. No matter what heating problems arise, if these issues develop in the heart of winter, they can leave everyone in the building uncomfortable and at risk of hypothermia, or other temperature-related medical emergencies.
At Summit Heating & Cooling, we offer an expansive range of home comfort solutions. Kansas City locals can always turn to us for indoor air quality services, air duct cleaning, modular home service, and more. We even offer a variety of cutting-edge heating, cooling, and air cleaning products. If it’s time to have your home heating equipment serviced, call us today to set up an appointment.
