Why You Need a Heater Performance Tune-Up and What It Includes

A heater performance tune-up done by a professional can keep your system running at its top efficiency and is an important maintenance you won’t want to delay. In most of our homes, we have either gas fired heaters (also called furnaces) or electric heat air handlers (which are part of a heat pump system). As far as heat goes in the Houston area, a true winter comes for a few hours a year in the early morning. But let’s face it, we all get cold and want our home to be a cozy respite from Jack Frost.

Why Maintain Your System

The latest Carrier heaters today typically come with a 20 year limited warranty from manufacturers for the gas fired furnaces and 10 years for the electric heat units. In order to maximize the life of these components, routine maintenance is an integral step to prevent breakdowns and lengthen the life of your system. It also ensures safety as well, especially when gas combustion is used to generate heat.

When Terry’s A/C and Heating evaluates your heater, we focus on safety first. Then, we look to improve efficiency, comfort, and performance capacity of each and every system we service.

Multi-Point Heater Inspection

Terry’s A/C and Heating conducts the following points of inspections for each heater:

• Check the furnace visually to start.
• Check the gas cock to insure safe operation in the event of a gas failure.
• Check for any gas leaks from the gas cock to the gas valve.
• Check the amperage (power consumption rate) of the blower and the system.
• Checking the capacitor of the blower motor.
• Checking the low voltage wires for signs of chewing or decay.
• Checking the PC board and or powered relays for discolored wires, loose connections, or any visible defect.
• Check for free movement of the inducer draft motor.
• Check the flue pipe assembly ensuring it will freely flow the flue gases to the exterior of the home.
• Check the igniter or spark ignition system for proper operation.
• Check the gas valve for wiring, defects and gas pressure.
• Check the flame sensor and clean if necessary.
• Check for proper sequence of operation.
• Check the low pressure/vacuum switch to ensure the flue gasses are exiting the home properly.
• Check the upper limit or high temp limit switch. This safety measure ensures the furnace shuts down in the event of a blower motor failure.
• Visually check the water heater, if by the system, for water in the drain pan or a stopped up flue pipe.
• Check the thermostat for function.
• Check the life on the air filter.

Contact Us

Contact Terry’s A/C and Heating today to schedule your Heater Performance Tune-Up. While we perform these checks mainly in the fall, we can conduct them any time of year (including as part of a home inspection).Our certified technicians confidently work with any brand of product and provide our customers with excellent customer service for all of our heating service and repairs. We also offer a scheduled maintenance and priority service “Peace of Mind Protection Plan” for those homeowners interested in a proactive approach to maintaining their HVAC equipment. We have one of the best warranties in the HVAC industry and guarantee our work for a full year.