The first week of “Octobrrrrr” plans to be warm and sunny in and around Boston, if you believe Accuweather. But you may already have turned on your home’s heating system in the last couple of weeks. It’s time for a fall furnace tune-up!
A tune-up will help your heating system perform more efficiently, last longer, and avoid breaking down. There’s no bad time to have your home heating system inspected. But right now, before the first cold nights of autumn, is the ideal time.
Here’s a quick guide to types of heating systems and what a tune-up involves:
Furnace Tune-Ups
A warm air furnace heats air and blows it throughout your home via ductwork. A furnace tune-up involves cleaning, replacing filters, testing all the components, removing soot from the burners, and more.
Boiler Tune-Ups
A forced hot water boiler heats water and sends it through pipes to radiators. Forced hot water boilers are very common in Boston. An annual tune-up involves visual inspection, cleaning the heat exchanger, checking water pressure and pumps, calibrating the thermostat, and more.
Heat Pump Inspections
Energy efficient air source heat pumps require less maintenance than other types of heating systems. That said, you should keep the outdoor unit clear of snow, debris, and branches from nearby shrubs. You should also check air filters monthly. You should have heat pumps or mini splits serviced once a year. Your technician will make sure the air pumps have the correct refrigerant charge and are not leaking. This is important both for safety and for efficiency reasons.
If you haven’t had your heating system tuned up yet this year, give us a call!
