It is time For Your Heating Inspection

When to Get a Heating inspection

As the cooler temperatures are creeping in we are gearing up to switch our systems over from AC to heat. You probably haven’t even thought about pushing the button that controls the heat in months, meaning your furnace has been sitting there unused for quite some time. This is why we recommend having a heating inspection at the beginning of the season.

During those months of being unused, there are so many problems that can arise! Think about it, if you left your car sitting for months you wouldn’t just jump back in it with no problems, the same can be said for your furnace. After a few months, there may be a few problems that need to be addressed. This is why a heating inspection is important before the cold air of winter rolls in.

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Why you need a Heating Inspection

There are many reasons why you should have a heating inspection, however we want to focus on what you can expect during your seasonal and annual inspections and why it is important to regularly schedule these inspections.

Having a set routine for your seasonal heating inspection is extremely important, because by doing this, you are ensuring that all of your systems maintenance requirements are up to date and being met. This seasonal inspection is also important to ensure that your system is running efficiently too. Your HVAC system makes up about half of your home’s energy bill, so by having these routine inspections and scheduled maintenance you can actually end up saving about 10% off of your monthly expenses.

Along with seasonal inspections we recommend getting an annual heating inspection too. The main reason for this is to make sure nothing was missed or compromised during your seasonal inspection. These annual service inspections prolong the life of your system, meet warranty requirements, and most importantly lets you know that your system is operating correctly and safely.

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What does a Heating Inspection Entail?

So now that you know the why- let’s jump into the how, and what you can do to ensure that your heating inspection goes as smoothly as possible!

HVAC inspectors have a list of items that they are supposed to check, and each one of these items plays a part in the overall safety of your system.

1. Heat Exchanger: The heat exchanger is a device that allows heat from one fluid to pass to another without the two fluids having to come into contact. Without a properly functioning heat exchanger, your heating system will not be able to run efficiently. This means a loss of heat production from the system and throughout your entire home. And at the end of the day, anything that affects your system’s efficiency affects your overall bottom line cost.
2. Internal Area: When your heating system isn’t performing, an inspection of all of its internal areas could help point to the problem. A common internal problem is the build up of soot. The abundance of soot inside of your system in the wrong places can lead to issues and affect the overall efficiency of the system.
3. Air Filters: A clogged filter is just one example of an internal issue that will have a negative effect on your system’s efficiency. Without these filters being regularly cleaned your system poses the risk of suffering from long term efficiency issues or even a complete system failure. During your heating inspection, the HVAC technician can check to see if your filters need to be cleaned or if they need to replace them all together.
4. Furnace and Thermostat: Test starting your furnace will confirm that your system is running at its most optimal. Before test starting the furnace your HVAC technician will check that the thermostat is displaying the correct room temperature. This will ensure that as you adjust the temperature your furnace is still firing correctly. Your HVAC technician will also collect four flue gas samples to test the efficiency of your system. These samples will determine factors such as oxygen count, smoke content, the state of your flue gases, and temperature consistency. All of which equates to a system that is efficient and healthy.

While these are just a few examples of the important items to make sure you have your technician pay attention to, there are a few other things that you should check with your technician about during your heating inspection.

Some of these items include:

• Cleaning your systems burners
• Checking fan belts for any signs of cracking or breakage
• Inspecting all safety switches
• Cleaning and inspecting the system's blower motors (this might include lubrication of the motors)

Once your heating inspection is complete it is important to then have a discussion with your technician. This will ensure that you can better understand the state of your system, any issues that were uncovered, and any possible maintenance plans that need to be made as you move forward.

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Heating Inspections and Express Tech Air

We know that all systems are different, and that there are of course, more commonly heard of issues that tend to reoccur within your systems lifetime. So what are some issues that may arise during your inspection? Some of the more common issues that appear include, clogged air filters, dirty nozzles, excessive wear and tear, frequent cycling, not enough heat from your furnace, no heat from your furnace, electrical ignition/ pilot control, your blower won’t shut off, or a noisy furnace. Knowing the common problems within your system will help you be more informed during your heating inspection.

Setting aside the possible issues that may be uncovered during your inspection, you should also be aware of items that usually need to be replaced. Just like we have to go to the doctors for check ups, these heating inspections are tune ups for your HVAC system.

Replacing these items during your inspection will help to ensure that your system is running at its optimum efficiency and also help to prolong your systems life. Some of the items that tend to need replacements include:

• Air Filters
• Nozzles
• Thermocouple
• Limit Switch
• Belts
• Ventilation System
• Valves
• Fan Motors
• Ductwork
• Compressors
• Drain Lines
• Fuses
• Coils
• Exchangers

It is important to remember that not all heating units and furnaces are created equal. This is why scheduling your seasonal and annual heating inspections with one of our trained professionals will help to ensure that your heating system is ready to take on the cold.

Give us a call today to talk to a technician about scheduling your next inspection!