We’re not at winter yet, but there’s a definite chill in the air and it is time to get prepared. For many, that means gearing up for the holiday season and pulling heavy jackets out of storage, but one task that should very much be on your to-do list is making sure your home heating system is in proper working order.  That’s why Tragar Home Services recommends an annual home heating tune-up. This isn’t something you should ignore. Analyzing your heating system can save you money on costly repairs down the road, keep your home safer and save you money by ensuring your home heating system remains energy efficient.

Why Schedule a Home Heating Tune-Up

Tragar Home Services isn’t alone in suggesting that an annual home heating tune-up is a smart idea. The Energy Star program, which was created by the United States Energy Department and the federal Environmental Protection Agency to set standards for energy efficiency, also recommends a yearly maintenance program. Energy Star says that doing so will “prevent future problems and unwanted costs.”  They suggest planning checkups around the time change which occurs in mid-March for cooling systems and early November for your heating tune-up.

Checking Your Heating System’s Settings, Connections and Parts

There are several components to an annual heating checkup. We’ll check your thermostat settings to make sure your home is at a comfortable level. We can also recommend ways to make sure your thermostat helps with energy efficiency such as how to regulate temperatures when you’re not home.

We’ll check all of your electrical connections and tighten them. This will ensure you’ll remain safe from problems related to faulty connections. It can also lengthen the life of your system. Next, we’ll lubricate all of the moving parts to reduce friction. This is important because friction causes your system to use up more electricity, making it less energy efficient.

Another way to check energy efficiency is by measuring voltage and current on your system’s motors. If you have low voltage it could cause the motor to overheat. We’ll also take a look at your system’s controls to make sure that they allow the system to start and shut off properly. This is also critical to the safety of your heating unit.

Making Sure Burners Are Clean and Running Well

An important part of the tune-up is checking all of the connections to your gas or oil furnace. We’ll want to be certain that there are no fire hazards and that there are no loose connections that can lead to health threats. We’ll make sure the burner is clean because a dirty or cracked heat exchanger can lower efficiency and create a dangerous situation.

Finally, we inspect how your system is operating. Checking your oil filter, pump strainer, oil burner nozzle, gas valve, gas flame and thermocouple are all important parts of the ignition of your heating equipment and we ensure it is burning safely and efficiently.

Tragar Home Services Will Keep Your Heat System Running Smoothly

You can help make the tune-up run smoothly as well. If you have a furnace or a heat pump that requires an air filter replacement, replace it on schedule. If you’re unsure how to do this, ask the professionals at Tragar Home Services.

At Tragar, we want your home to be warm, safe and energy efficient. We know how to make sure that happens for years to come. All you have to do is stay on top of your yearly home heating maintenance checks. To schedule a tune-up or if you have any questions, contact Tragar Home Services today.