Furnace maintenance

Get Top-notch Maintenance Service Today!

In the Houston area, it is really easy to let furnace maintenance slip. We often have summertime temps well into the winter and, when we do get a cold front, it can come on suddenly. Before you know it, you need your heater. Instead of hoping that it works, you should schedule routine furnace maintenance. At Crew Heating & Air Conditioning, we can provide maintenance for your furnace, heat pump, HVAC system, or other home heating system. We can offer one-time service, or you can include furnace maintenance in one of our convenient yearly maintenance packages.

Schedule an Appointment

Crew Heating & Cooling is here to get you back to normal.

When to do Maintenance

Customers often ask when they should do their furnace maintenance. We advise it before turning on your furnace for the first time each season. Of course, with Houston weather being hot and unpredictable, that could be anytime from October to January! Ideally, we would recommend scheduling furnace maintenance at the end of September or the beginning of October. However, the most important thing is to have your furnace serviced regularly. Do not worry if you have already turned on your heat this season. We can still come out and do a maintenance call to make sure everything is working correctly and safely!

How Often Does a Furnace Need Maintenance?

Unlike air conditioners, Houston furnaces are not usually overworked. Of course, we also have houses designed to lose heat rather than retain it, so when we get a cold snap, our furnaces may be working overtime. As a result, we still recommend a yearly maintenance schedule for furnaces. We can check all parts, replace anything that looks worn and check for any safety risks.

What Does a Furnace Maintenance Call Involve?

Maintenance is a three-part process: inspection, service, and repair. We start by looking over the entire system. We are looking for signs of wear and any broken, loose, or malfunctioning parts. We will note those and recommend replacement or repair for anything that is not functioning correctly. Next, we perform regular maintenance on your system. What that involves depends on the type of heating system you have. Generally, a furnace maintenance call includes:

Replacing air filters

Checking for carbon monoxide leaks

Testing electrical components

Testing capacitors

Optimizing air/fuel ratios

Testing heat exchanger

Tightening belts and pulleys

Testing safety controls

Cleaning and lubricating moving parts

Cleaning coils, burners, and other components\

Can I Handle Furnace Maintenance as a DIY?

We are all about DIY home services. We are happy to talk you through some of the monthly maintenance you should be doing on your HVAC system. However, because furnace maintenance is a safety issue, we suggest getting a professional to check out your furnace each season. If you do not choose Crew for this service, we recommend getting a professional inspection. That is because, unlike air conditioners, a malfunctioning furnace can kill you with little warning. Most heating systems produce carbon monoxide as a byproduct. In a properly functioning system, this odorless but toxic gas is released outside of your home, where it dissipates into a harmless atmospheric gas. If it builds up in your home, it can cause illness and even death. Getting a professional to check on your system’s safety is well worth the cost of an inspection.

Replacing or Cleaning Filters

Just like your air conditioning system, your heating system relies on air intake to function properly. If your air filters are clogged or dirty, it will impact your system’s performance. That means that you need to clean or replace your air filters regularly. Some air filters are replaceable. You dispose of replaceable filters and replace them with a new filter. A more environmentally friendly option is reusable filters, which you can clean and replace in your system. If you have reusable filters, they should come with specific cleaning instructions. If you do not have those instructions, give us a call. We are happy to tell you how to clean your reusable filters properly.

People ask us how often they should replace or clean their filters. The answer depends on your household. The more dirt, grime, dust, and hair that comes into your house, the more often you need to replace filters. One of our customers has nine pets in their house- they need to replace filters approximately every three weeks. Some of our customers only need to replace their filters every 3 or 3 months. Your HVAC system may have an indicator light on your thermostat that will come on when your filter needs to be changed. If not, you can perform a visual inspection of the filter. If the filter looks dusty and dirty, it is time to change it!

Schedule Your Maintenance Today

Ready to improve safety and efficiency? Schedule your furnace maintenance today. We can come out, inspect your system, and get it optimized for your usage patterns and household. With some easy tweaks, we can help you keep your house warm and cozy this winter while still helping you save money on your fuel bills. Like our service? Consider getting one of our maintenance packages.