Between pro lawn treatments and raking, you typically do a good deal of work to prepare your yard for colder temps. In your home, your furnace is the same. It also calls for tune-ups to keep it operating smoothly during the fall and winter.

But how often should you maintain your furnace in Des Moines? What if it’s newer? Or working well? Are tune-ups required then? Let’s go over why furnace maintenance is needed and how frequently you should request it.

Why Furnace Service Is Important

Your furnace is essential to keeping your house comfortable during cold temps. When it’s frequently tuned up, you’ll enjoy reliable, efficient heating. If you regularly skip tune-ups, your furnace can accumulate grit. This can lead your furnace to work48} more and, because of that, increase your gas costs. A lack of service can also result in your furnace breaking down, leaving you with costly repair bills that could have been stopped in a lot of cases.

One of the most essential tasks you can do without help is frequently replacing your furnace’s air filter. When your filter gets too dirty, your furnace could start responding by doing something called short cycling, where it switches on and off more frequently to prevent overheating. Apart from the fact that this affects your energy costs, it also decreases your furnace’s lifetime since it’s running more frequently.

If you’ve installed a flat filter, we suggest getting a new one at minimum monthly. Pleated filters can last up to three months. An easy way to check whether you need to replace your filter is by removing it and holding it up to the light. If you don’t see light through it, it’s time to replace it.

However, how often you should replace your filter is contingent upon how often your furnace runs, if you have dogs or cats and if anyone in your home has allergies. The Heartland Heating & Cooling professionals can help if you aren’t sure how often you should get a new filter or what the ideal model is for your family.

How Frequently You Need Furnace Maintenance

We recommend scheduling furnace maintenance in Des Moines annually, ideally during the time between air conditioning and heating season. This will give you an advantage just in case you have to have any repairs and will verify you enjoy stress-free warmth during the winter. It also keeps your manufacturer’s warranty intact, which is critical if you have a new furnace.

Apart from getting a new air filter and keeping your register grates free of buildup, we don’t recommend trying furnace maintenance without professional help. Your furnace is a complex appliance that demands assistance from a heating and cooling professional. All our friendly Heartland Heating & Cooling pros have gone through thorough education to better help you. They’re also fully licensed and insured, giving you peace of mind that your heater is in good hands.

Here are some of services we’ll complete on our maintenance visit:

  • Inspect crucial components of your furnace, such as the heat exchanger, blower and burner.
  • Clean the inner parts of your furnace, as well as the flame sensor, burner and blower.
  • Look at the flue to ensure it’s venting like it should.
  • Test complete furnace operation for safety and ideal operation.

Today is an excellent time to request your furnace maintenance appointment with Heartland Heating & Cooling. Our pros are here to help you enjoy a stress-free winter with energy-efficient heating. Contact us at 515-344-3579 to schedule your appointment now, and remember to check our offers for special discounts on your future maintenance appointment.