All heating systems need professional maintenance each year to help them perform at their best throughout the cold Maryland winter. At Grove Heating & Cooling, our heating tune up checklist includes the comprehensive service your system needs to boost efficiency, reduce the likelihood of malfunctions and keep your home cozy all season long.
How Often Do Heating Systems Need Maintenance?
Furnaces and boilers require professional maintenance once per year; heat pumps need them twice per year, as they provide both heating and cooling. Professional service is recommended by HVAC equipment manufacturers to uphold the efficiency and performance of the system. Regular tune ups are often a condition of manufacturer’s warranty coverage, too. If you skip routine maintenance, you may forfeit this important coverage that saves you money should a system malfunction occur.
What’s Included in a Heating Tune Up?
A tune up includes all the important service, tests and checks to keep your furnace, boiler, or heat pump running at peak levels throughout winter. The steps of our tune up checklist vary based on the needs of each heating system type.
What Does Furnace Maintenance Include?
Maintenance for furnaces includes:
- Inspecting and recalibrating safety controls
- Inspecting and tightening electrical connections, if needed
- Lubricating motors and bearings
- Checking blower wheel
- Measuring blower amperage and voltage and adjusting, if needed
- Checking fan switch and adjusting, if needed
- Checking and adjusting pilot
- Cleaning pilot assembly
- Checking flame sensor
- Inspecting, adjusting and cleaning burners
- Inspecting gas lines
- Checking gas pressure
- Inspecting heat exchanger
- Measuring carbon monoxide levels
- Inspecting flue pipe
- Testing and calibrating thermostat
- Replacing air filter, if necessary
Tune Up for Boilers
Maintenance for boiler systems includes:
- Inspecting piping and system insulation
- Inspecting for proper ventilation
- Measuring combustion air intake and adjusting, if needed
- Inspecting and cleaning burners
- Inspecting and cleaning combustion chamber
- Adjusting burner and gas input
- Adjusting motorized draft control
- Measuring stack temperatures and adjusting airflow, if needed
- Testing combustion efficiency
- Inspecting and verifying system safety controls
- Inspecting expansion tank
- Inspecting water feed valve
- Measuring boiler pressure and temperature
- Inspecting and lubricating pumps
Tune Up for Heat Pumps
Maintenance for heat pump heating systems includes:
- Inspecting and tightening electrical connections, if needed
- Lubricating motors and bearings
- Checking blower wheel
- Measuring blower amperage and voltage and adjusting, if needed
- Checking fan switch and adjusting, if needed
- Inspecting and cleaning coils
- Checking refrigerant charge
- Inspecting for refrigerant leaks
- Verifying airflow
- Inspecting condensate drain pan
- Flushing drain lines
- Testing and calibrating thermostat
- Replacing air filter, if necessary
Maintenance Memberships for Heating System Service
Ensure your heating system receives the professional care it needs each year with a maintenance membership from Grove Heating & Cooling. Our memberships cover your yearly service. Additionally, you receive savings on diagnostics and repairs should a system breakdown occur, plus credit for new system purchases when it’s time to upgrade to a new heating unit!
Schedule Your Heating Tune Up Now
It’s never too late to schedule a heating tune up for your furnace, boiler or heat pump! This professional service is needed yearly by an HVAC technician (twice for heat pumps) to keep your HVAC equipment in good shape and ensure efficient heating. Call us today and schedule your appointment to have our skilled HVAC technicians perform the steps of our heating tune up checklist.
