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Why Regular Furnace and Coil Cleaning Are a Must?

Multiple things can affect how well your HVAC system works, and one of these often overlooked aspects is: cleaning the coils and furnace. The HVAC furnace’s job is to act as a heater and keep the temperature of your room warm during colder days. While the coil acts as a takeout for hot or cold air from your home. Both these parts can easily get clogged with dust and dirt. This is why it’s a good idea to clean the coil and furnace of your HVAC regularly, typically once a year. Keeping your HVAC system healthy depends on how well you take care of it. Here’s all you need to know about the regular coil and furnace cleaning

Importance of Regular Furnace Cleaning

Making annual furnace and coil cleaning services a part of your fall routine is a wise move for several compelling reasons. Let’s break it down in simple terms:

Cut Energy Costs: 

Your furnace can gobble up about half of your energy bill and in a chilly winter, that can add up. Regular maintenance can save you as much as 30%, which means you could save big bucks. Small steps like changing filters can also help keep your bills down and reduce the need for expensive repairs.

Prevent Breakdowns: 

Routine maintenance helps avoid unexpected expenses and ensures your HVAC system is in good shape. Neglecting maintenance can lead to issues like water leaks, frequent shutdowns, carbon monoxide leaks, and more.

Extend Furnace Life: 

Regular maintenance keeps your furnace running smoothly and lasting longer. Professional servicing can catch problems early, check safety controls, and help you get the most out of your investment.

Detect Safety Risks: 

Furnaces burn fuel to produce heat, and any issues in this process can lead to gas leaks – a dangerous situation. Annual maintenance helps catch potential safety risks, including carbon monoxide leaks, which can be hard to detect.

Importance of Regular Coil Cleaning Services

Enhances AC Unit Performance: 

Your AC unit’s condenser coils are responsible for taking the heat out of your home and replacing it with cool air. As these coils circulate air, they collect dust and dirt which makes it harder for the unit to function effectively. This means it takes longer to reach your desired temperature, and the unit has to run more often to maintain it. Regular maintenance solves this problem and enhances performance.

Promotes Energy Efficiency: 

HVAC systems consume over half of a household’s electricity. With such high usage, it makes sense to want your AC unit to be as energy-efficient as possible. Regular coil cleaning services maintain your system’s energy efficiency, by replacing dirty coils that hamper performance, this in turn leads to substantial savings over time.

Prevents Leaks and Emergencies: 

Besides the added wear and tear from your unit working harder, dirt and debris buildup can also corrode the coils and lead to leaks. If left unaddressed, these leaks can result in significant damage to your home and affect other parts of your AC unit. Cleaning the coils helps maintain your unit’s functionality by preventing leaks and reducing stress on its components. This lowers the likelihood of requiring emergency AC repair services.

Enhances Indoor Air Quality: 

Dirty coils become a breeding ground for harmful elements like bacteria, fungi, and mold. Considering that your AC unit circulates air throughout your home, it’s crucial to keep these contaminants in check with professional coil and HVAC cleaning services.

How Often Should Furnaces and Coils Be Cleaned?

The frequency of getting furnace and coil cleaning services depends on a few things:

  • Generally, you should clean them once a year, unless you live in a place with a lot of wind, dust, or dirt, in which case you might need to clean them more often.
  • If you use your AC a lot, it might also need more frequent cleaning. 
  • Older units can collect dirt faster, leading to more cleanings.
  • If you feel like your AC isn’t working as well as it should, it’s probably time to clean the coils.

Cleaning Furnace

Signs Your Furnace Needs Cleaning

Certain signs clearly tell us that our furnace needs cleaning, here’s what you need to look for:

1. You’re Having Trouble with Your Furnace’s Performance

  • Your furnace is supposed to keep your home warm, so it’s frustrating when it doesn’t do the job right. If you’re experiencing any of the following issues, it could be due to dirt and dust that need cleaning:
  • Some rooms are colder than others.
  • Your furnace can’t maintain the temperature you set on the thermostat.
  • There’s no heat at all.
  • Your furnace turns on and off rapidly.
  • Unusual Smells from the Furnace

2. Unusual Noises from the Furnace

Unusual noises can be a homeowner’s nightmare. But when it comes to a furnace, it might simply need a thorough cleaning. Noises like a loud bang when you turn on the furnace, whistling or howling while it’s running, or other strange sounds could be caused by clogged air filters, dirty burners, or restricted fuel supply.

3. Decreased Indoor Air Quality

When there’s dust, mold, or dirt in your furnace or ducts, it can get into the air you breathe. You might notice that you need to dust more often, the air has a musty smell, or you experience allergy symptoms in the winter. If this sounds familiar, a simple furnace cleaning could greatly improve your indoor air quality.

Hiring Professional Furnace Cleaning Services

Doing your own furnace maintenance might seem like a way to cut costs, but it won’t provide your furnace with the expert care it truly needs. Professional furnace technicians have the knowledge to focus on the critical parts of your furnace and can evaluate the condition of all its components. Here are some benefits of hiring a professional furnace cleaning services:

1. Your Warranty Requires Regular Furnace Maintenance

Many manufacturers now offer extended warranties for their systems, sometimes up to 15 years. However, these warranties often specify that only furnaces that have received professional annual servicing are eligible for claims.

2. Well-Maintained Furnaces Cost Less to Run

When furnaces are not properly maintained, and their filters aren’t kept clean, the furnace has to work harder and longer to generate the same amount of heat and airflow. In the winter, you’ll quickly notice the impact of this inefficiency on your utility bill.

3. Peace of Mind

The technician will inspect for wear and other signs that might indicate a need for repairs or even a replacement. It’s far better to discover that your furnace is nearing the end of its lifespan and have time to shop for a new one than to have it fail when it’s -30°C outside.

4. Enhanced Home Comfort

Your yearly furnace cleaning is an excellent opportunity to discuss improving your home’s comfort level with the technician. For example, if certain rooms in your house always seem colder than others, the technician may be able to adjust vents or settings to enhance air circulation, or they may identify issues that need attention.

5. Your Family’s Safety

Since furnaces burn fuel to create heat, any malfunction that causes incomplete combustion can lead to carbon monoxide. While many homeowners have carbon monoxide detectors, the best approach is to have a technician ensure there’s no risk of carbon monoxide in the first place.

If you are looking for regular furnace cleaning services in MD or nearby areas then Safe House Air Duct Cleaning is your perfect partner. With years of experience, the professionals here deeply evaluate the current condition of your HVAC system and deploy the latest tools and techniques to provide excellent air duct cleaning and maintenance.

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