Heating and Furnace Maintenance

You can avoid facing the winter’s chill with a faulty heating and ventilation system by calling The Otter Guys first! We provide “otterly” affordable and fantastic HVAC and furnace maintenance services to help you maintain a comfortable temperature and humidity level in your home. Since 1960, we have been a locally owned and family-run company, serving Charlottesville and Albemarle County with pride for more than 60 years! We provide quick responses and quality results for our customers because we value honesty and a job well done. For honest solutions and your ultimate peace of mind and comfort through the colder months of the year, call us today!

What Happens When You Don’t Properly Maintain Your Furnace Or HVAC Systems

Below are a few signs of what happens when your system isn’t properly maintained.

Poor Performance

When it comes down to it, the HVAC system’s only function in your home is to move heated or cooled air throughout it. Your HVAC system will use more energy when it is not operating at its best, which will increase your energy costs. Your system’s thermostat might not function correctly as a result of improper maintenance. Your device could therefore not switch on or off when it should, negatively impacting your unit and the comfort levels of your home. 

Even if your furnace is running nonstop, it won’t be able to heat your home adequately or evenly without enough circulation throughout the furnace and ductwork. Leaky ductwork and clogged filters or blower fans are often the culprit in these situations. In order to keep your family and house comfortable and happy, schedule regular maintenance of your furnace and HVAC system  with us today. We will work hard to help you reduce the risks and costs associated with these issues.

Short Cycling

Most homeowners don’t give their furnace or HVAC system much thought till they need to replace or repair it. Because the system is functioning and the thermometer indicates a comfortable temperature, you might assume that everything is good. However, short cycling is an ongoing problem that robs you of comfort while shortening the service life of your HVAC system and furnace. There are hot and cold areas all throughout the house because of short cycling.

If the system’s safety sensors trigger for any reason—including no burner flame being detected with the gas valve open or overheating owing to insufficient airflow—short cycling can occur. Additionally, if the system is too large for your home, short cycling may also happen. If your system or furnace is short cycling, contact us immediately and we will inspect and repair your furnace issue.

Long Runtimes

Abnormally long runtimes can be caused by cracked or malfunctioning heat exchangers or one that has significant dirt buildup. Your heat exchanger is a metal component that helps heat the air that circulates throughout your home. Over time, the heat exchanger can accumulate dirt, soot and other debris. This means that your furnace has to work harder and run longer to heat your home. But your HVAC technician can address this by cleaning your heat exchanger.

Parts naturally begin to break down when your system has to work harder (whether from dirt buildup or dirty filters). This might indicate corrosion, cracks, or other problems with heat exchangers. Heat exchangers that are cracked or otherwise damaged require greater amounts of time and effort to effectively heat your home. Eventually, however, a damaged heat exchanger could result in total system failure. 

When they become damaged, heat exchangers can cost thousands of dollars to replace, leaving your wallet empty and your home cold. Don’t risk waiting on routine maintenance. Save yourself and your system from unnecessary frustrations and schedule maintenance with us today. 

The Presence Of Bad Odors

The most common furnace choice for homes is natural gas furnaces. Normal natural gas has no color and no smell. To help individuals identify gas leaks, gas companies add a harmless chemical called mercaptan to give it its distinctive “rotten egg” smell which acts as a gas leak warning. Leave your house immediately and dial 911 if you smell rotting eggs.

Another scent to be mindful of is the smell of something burning. There are two potential reasons for a burning smell emanating from your furnace. The first is the accumulation of dirt on your heat exchanger, which we covered in the preceding section. The second is a blower motor that has overheated. If your filter is filthy or clogged, your blower motor might overheat.

Customers in the greater Charlottesville, VA, area can depend on our qualified specialists to offer them straightforward and hassle-free furnace solutions. To better protect your home, your health, and your unit, schedule routine maintenance with The Otter Guys today.

Unusual Sounds

When your HVAC system starts up, do you hear any rattling or grinding? It’s necessary to schedule maintenance right away if the noise is coming from inside the appliance and not from the outside. Simple debris in the AC line might be the cause. By contacting one of our service technicians, you can actively prevent major future issues and repair costs. 

Your blower motor’s bearings may be damaged if you hear strange noises when your furnace first turns on. For the blower motor to function correctly, the bearings must be lubricated. This lubricant may become dry over time (especially with excessive heat). Our HVAC repair experts may be able to oil the blower motor in some circumstances. But with some blower motor types, this isn’t always an option. Whatever the case may be, our friendly and professional service technicians are ready to assist you today.

Moisture Accumulation Near Your Unit Or Inside Your Home

The condenser pump may be faulty, the unit’s seals may not be tight, the drain hole may be clogged or blocked, or your hose may be obstructed, all of which can result in leaks in an HVAC unit. If your HVAC system isn’t properly maintained, any of these things could occur and may create further issues and repair costs for your unit. Regular maintenance ensures that these issues are identified and addressed quickly.

You should get in touch with The Otter Guys immediately if you notice water leaking from your HVAC system. Puddling water could damage the circuit board and other parts of your furnace, possibly causing additional and more costly repairs. Some common causes for pooling water leaks include a damaged heat exchanger or an evaporator coil with a compromised seal. Regularly scheduled maintenance helps ensure that your unit’s many working parts are healthy and full operation and functioning as they should.

Furnace And HVAC System Maintenance Tasks That Homeowners Can Safely Perform Themselves

To keep your system reliable and operating efficiently in the colder months, routine furnace and HVAC system maintenance is important. In order to keep your system in the best possible condition, make sure to have an HVAC expert do an annual furnace service visit in the fall, just before the cold really begins to settle in. In between your regularly scheduled maintenance appointments, you can also complete your own maintenance tasks to help ensure the health of your system.

Change Your Filters

To prevent the spread of harmful pollutants throughout the house, filters remove dust, hair, and other particles from the air. By replacing the HVAC filter every 30 days, you can enhance the quality of the air inside your house while using less energy. For the system to heat and cool more effectively, clean filters enable more air to pass through. This is an easy and effective maintenance task that homeowners should have little to no issue safely performing.

Perform Routine Visual Inspections

When replacing the filter, check the system each month to identify any potential issues. Examine the thermostat, the inside and outside units, the registers, and the returns. Additionally, you should examine the following:

Check the thermostat’s battery level.

• Check the thermostat’s battery level.
• Make sure the cabinet door and filter access are shut tightly.
• Check that all registers and returns are open and unblocked.
• Verify that the flue system is completely functional and secured.
• Verify the condensate system’s drainage to make sure it is functioning properly.
• Check all registers for mold.
• Ensure that the outside unit is level. 

If for any reason, you find these tasks to be too difficult or time demanding, it would be our “otter” pleasure to come to your home and provide service to your unit. Regular maintenance is the best way to ensure the continued comfort and health of your system, your home, and your family.

Keep The Inside And Outside Units Clean And Clear Of Clutter

Enhancing air quality and safety by keeping the space around your indoor HVAC unit free is crucial for homeowners. The more items you have lying about, the more surface area available for dust to gather and finally access and clog the vent system. Clutter reduces system performance by decreasing air circulation in the immediate area. Clutter may also make it more difficult to perform repairs and maintenance and may provide a fire risk as well as a trip hazard.

The outdoor HVAC unit is an ideal place for waste such as grass clippings, twigs, and other falling leaves to collect and buildup. Every time you conduct yard work, clear away all the debris from the unit and the area surrounding it. If dirt starts to build up, spray it off. To guarantee optimal airflow, keep surrounding plants at least two feet away from the unit on all sides.

Frequently Asked Questions About Heating (HVAC) And Furnace Maintenance

At The Otter Guys, customer service and care are one of our primary goals. To help you understand the importance of regular maintenance and when it should be completed, below we have answered a few commonly asked questions on the subject.

How Often Should I Schedule Maintenance And When Is The Best Time To Schedule Maintenance For My Furnace And Heating (HVAC) System?

Consider arranging for your HVAC system to receive two seasonal tune-ups each year: one for the heating system and one for the cooling. Our experienced HVAC technicians will completely service, inspect, and troubleshoot the system during regular maintenance check ups in order to keep it operating effectively and avoid any unnecessary or costly service interruptions. 

The ideal time to carry out this type of maintenance for your home’s furnace is before the winter season when you’ll be making use of your furnace the most. When the winter season arrives, you’ll want to be certain that your furnace will continue to function efficiently and effectively.

What Are Some Common Heating (HVAC) And Furnace Maintenance Tasks?

Although each home and unit has specific maintenance needs, in general, HVAC maintenance consists of cleaning, clearing away debris, changing filters, and inspecting the performance of various components. Your home’s HVAC system will also be inspected for any corrosion and leaks.

Changing the air filter is one of the simplest servicing tasks you can handle on your own. A maintenance professional will do a more thorough cleaning of your furnace’s important components, checking the heating temperatures of the furnace, and checking for additional indicators of possible issues that could cause you more costly challenges in the future.

What Could Happen If My Furnace Or Heating (HVAC) System Is Not Properly Maintained?

Poorly maintained HVAC systems can spread dust, pollen, and other allergens throughout the home, causing respiratory troubles and other health problems. All of the accumulated debris in the unit will be eliminated by a thorough cleaning, reducing your risk of breathing-related problems and improving the air quality in your home. Not only will a neglected HVAC system break down more frequently, but it can additionally damage the rest of the unit. Neglected HVAC systems may also pose a very real fire hazard for homeowners. 

Carbon monoxide emissions from a furnace that is operating properly are very low. However, particularly with older HVAC systems, a malfunctioning system might emit substantially more. Avoiding your annual furnace inspection could put you in a dangerous situation. Make sure you have operational CO2 detectors on all of your floors and that you get your furnace serviced annually by a qualified specialist.

Contact The Otter Guys For All Of Your Heating And Furnace Maintenance Needs

Regularly scheduled preventative maintenance helps you maintain healthy indoor air quality while extending the lifespan of your furnace and ensuring its efficiency and safety. Our team of experienced professionals at The Otter Guys is ready to help you if you need heating or furnace maintenance services in the Charlottesville, Virginia, area. We provide a wide range of HVAC services, such as installation, maintenance, and repair. For your comfort, we also provide after-hours HVAC services. To learn more about our “otterly” superb HVAC and furnace maintenance services, contact us now!