The most effective methods for preventing loss of heat on cold fall and winter days are to perform a fall/winter heating check and to keep up with preventative maintenance measures. In most places of the country, fall is an ideal time to make your first heating check. Arizona is no exception. In order to prevent unwanted expenses and future issues and keep your heating equipment running efficiently for a long time, you must complete maintenance on a regular basis.

When you have a contractor complete a fall/winter heating check, including a heating system tune-up, you get peace of mind for the upcoming cold months. Generally winter and summer are the busiest seasons for contractors. Get your check done during the fall while it is easy to schedule an appointment.

A standard fall maintenance check-up will include all of the following components:

• Electrical connections. Tighten all of the connections and assess the motor current and voltage. Electrical connections with flaws can result in unsafe system operating and can significantly decrease the lifespan of the major components.
• Thermostat settings. Check the thermostat settings to make sure that the heating and cooling systems will maintain comfortable temperatures while people are at home and conserve energy while people are at work and school and are sleeping.
• Moving parts. Moving parts that do not have proper lubrication can bring about friction in the motors and increase the amount of energy that the household uses. Check all of these parts and lubricate them as needed.
•  System controls. In order to ensure safe, proper operation, check all of the controls. Assess the equipment’s starting cycle to make sure that the system starts, runs, and turns off without any problems.
• Condensate drain. Furnaces, central air-conditioners, and heat pumps can all have condensate drains. Check these drains to make sure that there are no clogs or other issues. Plugged drains can result in water damage for a home and affect the humidity level.

There are several heating and cooling specific check-ups that a contractor may also perform. For heating, the gas pressure, gas or oil connections, heat exchanger, and burner combustion should all be checked. For cooling, the central air-conditioner refrigerant level should be checked, and if needed, adjusted. The blower components and condenser and evaporator air-conditioner coils should be cleaned. The blower may also need to be adjusted to ensure an optimum comfort level for a home.

Once a month, clean and inspect the air filters in the furnace, central air-conditioner, and heat pump. If needed, change the filters. Dirty filters can bring up energy costs and compromise equipment, shortening its lifespan. Cooper Climate Control can explain how to do this if you need assistance.

• Check-Up
• checklist
• energy efficient
• family
• furnace
• heating repair
• HVAC