What Skipping a Tune-Up Actually Costs You
Most people skip furnace maintenance because nothing seems wrong. Here's what's quietly happening while it sits un-serviced:
And there's the safety piece - which matters more on a furnace than almost any other system. (More below.)
Safety Checks are Critical on Tune-Ups
A gas furnace burns fuel inside your home, which makes it different from an AC or a heat pump from a safety perspective. Heat exchangers can develop cracks and leak carbon monoxide into your home's air. You can't see it or smell it, which is exactly what makes it dangerous. A real furnace tune-up includes inspecting the heat exchanger and checking combustion and venting.
If we find a cracked heat exchanger or a combustion problem, we'll tell you straight and, if it isn't safe to run, we won't leave it running.
What's in a Charity Furnace Tune-Up
A comprehensive tune-up looks at the things that actually cause furnace failures:
- Heat exchanger - inspected for cracks (the carbon-monoxide risk)
- Burners and flame sensor - cleaned and checked; a common cause of a furnace that won't stay lit
- Igniter - checked for wear (one of the most common no-heat failures)
- Combustion and venting - verified for safe, proper operation
- Blower motor - inspected, and airflow checked
- Limit switches and safety controls - tested
- Electrical components - connections and controls checked
- Filter - checked and replaced if needed
- Thermostat - tested for accuracy
- Overall performance - we confirm it's running efficiently, not just that it turns on
If we spot something heading toward failure, we tell you and let you decide. No pressure to fix anything on the spot.
When to Schedule It
Early fall, before the heating season. In Minnesota, a furnace sits idle most of the year and then works hard for months straight. Getting it checked before that stretch means finding problems on a mild October day rather than during a below-zero night in January.
If it's been more than a year since your furnace was serviced, it's worth booking regardless of the season.
A Note on Cheap Tune-Ups
You'll see very low furnace tune-up prices advertised around here. It's worth knowing what those usually are: a loss leader to get a technician in your door, where the real money comes from what they find once they're there. Often, the safety checks get rushed to keep the price low.
We'd rather just do the work properly and be straight with you. We're not the cheapest HVAC company in the area. We send the people whose name is on the truck and tell you what we see. If your furnace is in good shape, we'll tell you it's in good shape.
Why Homeowners Choose Charity for Furnace Tune-Ups
- Family-owned. Brian and his sons do the work. The people who service your furnace are the people you call back.
- We don't skip the safety checks - heat exchanger, combustion, and venting- every time.
- Honest assessments - we're not looking for reasons to sell you something.
- Any make or model, regardless of who installed it.
- Licensed, bonded, and insured.
Furnace Tune-Ups Across Our Area
We tune up furnaces throughout Dassel, Hutchinson, Litchfield, Glencoe, Buffalo, and the surrounding communities.
