Furnace Check-Up & Cleaning: Still the Smart Choice Every Year

Just about anyone who has owned a home in Oswego, Yorkville, Aurora, Naperville or Montgomery (IL) will have heard the words: Have the furnace inspected and cleaned on a schedule. Beyond being good advice for comfort and safety at home, it can also often be sound financial wisdom as HVAC costs continue to rise nationwide.

At the same time, it’s one of those things we can simply overlook – even for years at a time – as we attend to everything else our time demands of us. Unfortunately, if we forget to maintain our furnace, problems often become more a matter of when than if.

As you’re aware, a furnace in Oswego, Yorkville, Aurora, Naperville or Montgomery will typically march into regular action in November and work diligently well into March. That constant activity draws dust, dirt and other particles to the furnace as it cycles the air to be heated.

You can imagine how thick the accumulation can get over five months. Steady soldier that it is, the furnace will push forward even when challenged. But even the most determined heating system will begin to stumble and slow as stress stacks up on it.

A tired, dirty furnace will also eventually release its build-up of impurities and allergens into our home. The heating system for an average six-room house can collect as much as 40 pounds of dust each year. Beyond keeping our surfaces filmed with dust, a dirty furnace can interfere with proper heating and air quality.

As a consumer who likes being informed (such as by reading this blog), you don’t have to contend with HVAC distractions that can be inconvenient at best and dangerous and costly at worst. By simply scheduling periodic maintenance with RJ Kuhn, you can enjoy the cold months in comfort instead of joining the queue of repair calls that peak in winter.

Furnace Check-Up & Cleaning: Be an Alert Self-Advocate

Arranging furnace maintenance with RJ Kuhn is a small investment of time and effort with returns designed to continue all season long. All you need to do is call us. Better still, you can take advantage of the extra discounts and benefits available through our Kuhn Care program.

Beyond scheduling maintenance proactively, you can be alert to what your furnace might be trying to tell you about its current condition. Be aware of symptoms such as:

reduced or no airflow. Your vents are on the front line of warming your home. If you coincidentally notice airflow is slowing or absent, or if you check them on occasion to ensure good airflow but it’s not there, it’s a common sign the system needs inspection and cleaning.

noises. A furnace that’s ready to roll for the winter will make some normal sounds such as start-up and ignition. Abnormal sounds are those such as scraping, banging or rattling. These may be telling you that a draft inducer is failing or a blower is out of balance, both of which are unwelcome if you’re in the midst of an Illinois freeze. An inspection and cleaning with RJ Kuhn will pinpoint and fix what may be problematic.

moisture in ductwork. Your furnace shouldn’t have moisture in it. If your ducts are damp, the heating system is flawed and there could even be mold in it. A cleaning and check-up can hit the stop button on an issue that will tend to get bigger.

larger dollar amounts. Even when rates are changing, your heating bills shouldn’t have steep spikes unless you know you were running more heat. A struggling system will work harder, draw more energy and cost more money.

Another thing to note is whether you recently moved into a new home. Unless the former occupants were forthcoming about their HVAC during the property transfer, you might not know what they did to maintain a clean and operative furnace. This is an instance in which a check-up and cleaning makes really good sense.

Consider the age of your heating system as well. While many newer models are built to last longer, your current furnace should receive regular attention to ensure that vital components are not worn and that all moving parts are intact.

Furnace Check-Up & Cleaning: What Does RJ Kuhn Do?

When you schedule a furnace check-up and cleaning with us, an RJ Kuhn technician will perform a 20-point inspection that ensures the system’s parts are properly working.

Just a few vital aspects we examine include checking:

Air quality also has become an increasing topic as more information about it emerges, such as that our indoor air is typically more polluted than the air outside. We might not always consider it, but air quality at home, where we spend a lot of our time, adds to quality of life. Proper indoor humidity is another factor supporting comfort and good health.

RJ Kuhn installs and maintains air filtration systems, whole-home humidifiers and de-humidifiers, and UV lighting systems and ventilators that disable airborne pathogens. If air quality at home is important to you simply ask us more about how you can achieve it!

Furnace Check-Up & Cleaning: Frequency

If you want to ensure your furnace in Oswego, Yorkville, Aurora, Naperville or Montgomery is in tip-top shape to serve you all winter long, it’s best to schedule a check-up and cleaning at least once every year.

If you use your furnace more often than is typical in the area – e.g. keep it set at 73˚ seven days a week throughout winter – or if someone in your home suffers from allergies or another health condition, the system should be cleaned and checked at least twice each year.

If you haven’t had your furnace checked and cleaned in the last several months or longer, there’s also no time like the present. Scheduling maintenance now will still be a smart choice.

Furnace Check-Up & Cleaning: Benefit Recap

When you are proactive about furnace maintenance with RJ Kuhn, you:

1. reinforce full-efficiency system operation.
2. conserve energy while saving money to spend elsewhere.
3. help prevent system failure, which can be very expensive in 2024 and beyond.
4. stay out of the queue of service and repair calls that increase in winter.
5. potentially prolong the furnace’s operating life (refer to #3 again).

If your system is relatively new, most manufacturers also require regular maintenance to keep the warranty active.

When You Need a Check-Up & Cleaning Soon, Contact RJ Kuhn

Having served homeowners in Oswego, Yorkville, Aurora, Naperville and Montgomery (IL) for so long (since 1972!), we are familiar with our local neighborhoods’ heating systems. Whatever you furnace make and model might be, we can support it with the check-up and cleaning it needs for optimal comfort and safety all winter long. Just give us a call at (630) 554-3336!

The Kuhn Care maintenance program offers special member benefits such as extended service hours for avoiding overtime charges and 30% savings on service-call parts and labor. Be sure to inquire about it!