Most of us are creatures of habit. We wait until the weather is turning colder, and then we turn on our heating system. But until we begin to notice a chill in the air, we don’t think about our home heating system or that it might be ready for some TLC. The only time that we call an HVAC professional is when there is an issue preventing us from enjoying a warm and cozy home. And it might surprise you to learn that while this is common practice, it is also a process that could be costing you a great deal of money. Regular maintenance for your heating system offers many benefits, including the potential to save you some cash.
Preventing Unnecessary Wear And Tear
As with any piece of machinery, your heating system components do begin to wear out after years of use. Slowly the parts degrade and become less efficient. This places added stress and wear on other parts, and the downward spiral has begun. Your future could be filled with many visits from your HVAC pro to keep your heating system running through the cold season. But regular maintenance on your heating system can decrease the stress on all of these essential parts.
Simple tasks such as removing dirt and debris from moving parts and applying grease and lubricant can significantly decrease the wear and tear on each piece and provide you with a more efficient heating system. Also, your HVAC professional will be able to determine which parts are showing the most wear and should be replaced. This proactive measure reduces the potential for a complete failure of a piece, which could result in damage to other parts. For example, replacing a small metal gear eliminates the chance of the gear shattering and damaging other parts of your heating unit. Now you are buying two new components instead of just replacing the one that was showing excessive wear and tear.
Locating And Eliminating Leaks
Leaks are a bad sign in any type of heating system. If you have forced-air heating, you could be losing up to 30% of your heat because of leaks in the ductwork. An HVAC pro will inspect your ducts for leaks or blockages that could be robbing you of heat and causing your heating system to work harder than it should be. Making these repairs can add years to the life expectancy of your home’s heating system.
Boiler systems and heat pumps also suffer from leaks, but these are far more serious. These are leaks in the water and refrigerant, and they can significantly diminish the heat that your unit is able to produce. Also, these leaks can be responsible for water damage in your home, which is expensive to have repaired.
Like any leak in your home, the heating system leak will start out very small. If they are discovered quickly, during a routine maintenance visit, your HVAC expert can repair the leak very affordably. However, if the leak is not repaired quickly, it will grow into an issue that is far more serious and costs a great deal more to repair. Finding and fixing any leak, in any type of heating system is going to improve the system’s ability to heat your home, allow the unit to operate more energy-efficiently, and extern the life of the system. All of these benefits represent excellent savings for you.
If you are not familiar with the regular maintenance required by your home’s heating system, a call to (318) 202-9144 can supply you with a great deal of information. A Gordon AC & Plumbing employee can set up an appointment for one of our trained HVAC technicians to come to your home and inspect your heating system. At that time, he or she can explain the process to you and show you the benefits of the maintenance. If you are not interested in performing the tasks on your own, let us know, and we will schedule an annual heating system inspection for you so that you will know your heater will be ready to do its job when the weather turns cold each year.
