What Is a Furnace Tune Up for Los Angeles Homes?

Los Angeles may not experience severe snowstorms like other parts of the country, but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t get cold here. When temperatures drop, plenty of homes rely on their furnaces to stay warm and cozy. But if you haven’t had a tune up for your furnace, then you may experience a drop in heating efficiency. 

At Monkey Wrench, we understand the importance of tune ups because we’ve seen how emergency furnace repairs could have been avoided with consistent tune ups. We’ve completed hundreds of tune ups all over Los Angeles and the surrounding areas and have seen how beneficial it can be for all homeowners. 

Furnace tune ups are highly recommended by heating and cooling experts and include a variety of services. By scheduling a furnace tune up ahead of time, you can extend its lifespan. 

In this article, we’ll touch on every service usually included in a furnace tune-up, when to schedule one, and all of the benefits it can provide. 

Let’s kick things off by highlighting the services included in a tune-up.

What Is Included in a Furnace Tune Up?

Furnace tune ups involve various services offered by professional heating and cooling technicians. It’s commonly offered by almost all home service companies throughout Los Angeles and the surrounding counties. Yet, the tune-up services provided can vary from technician to technician.

Here’s a look at all of the standard services offered for a furnace tune-up,

• Check gas pressure
• Checking and cleaning flame sensor
• Check burner
• Cleaning coils
• Checking heat exchanger and burner assembly 
• Look for any possible carbon monoxide leaks
• Tightening electrical connections
• Testing the thermostat
• Checking temperature differential
• Checking ductwork
• Checking fan motors
• Swapping the air filter
• Lubricating moving parts
• Inspecting safety controls
• Measure amperage and wattage

It can take a technician around one hour on average to complete a tune up. However, it isn’t common for it to take longer if further services, such as duct cleaning, are needed. Along with additional recommendations, the technician will provide you with a summary of their findings during the tune up. 

For furnaces, the technician should provide an update on the current condition of the flame sensors and burner assembly. Knowing the condition of your furnace’s internal parts can give you better insight into if your heating system is ready for the cold season.

The cold season usually starts late in the fall and most of the winter, so when is it best to schedule a tune up?

When to Schedule a Furnace Tune Up?

It’s recommended that a furnace tune-up be scheduled before the start of the cold season To ensure that the furnace is prepared to handle its heating capacity. It also gives you ample time to decide on or invest in any pending repairs needed so that your furnace can provide adequate heating. 

The price range for professional furnace maintenance varies from business to business. The average price for a furnace tune-up can start as low as $49 to over $180.

The quality of service can also vary regardless of the pricing. It’s also helpful to know that, in most cases, a technician will try to upsell any further services not included in a tune-up. 

It’s best to ask and explore what services each technician offers to compare. Servicing your furnace can yield many benefits, which we will cover in-depth in the next section.

Furnace Tune Up Benefits

Committing to annual furnace tune-ups can be beneficial. A well-maintained furnace will experience fewer problems than a furnace with neglected maintenance. 

Professional furnace maintenance can protect your heating system, maintain air quality, and other benefits. 

May Prevent Early Breakdowns and Unexpected Repairs 

Annual furnace tune-ups can help technicians catch any minor issues before they become emergency repairs and protect your system from early breakdowns. Similar to how cars need oil changes, tune-ups help your furnace provide your home with warmth.

Furnaces are complex systems made up of different parts. With a tune-up, you can ensure these parts are protected from any sudden breakdowns. 

Another key benefit of furnace tune-ups is how they can maintain your home’s air quality. 

Maintains Air Quality

Air filter replacements are common in furnace tune ups and can help keep indoor air in optimized quality. Better air quality can provide your home with more comfort. 

Debris and dust can build up in your furnace while it’s not in use. Professional maintenance can help clean dust off your furnace and positively impact the indoor air quality. 

A cleaner, well-maintained furnace can extend its lifespan, too. 

Extend Furnace Lifespan

Furnaces can last 15 to 20 years, and annual tune ups play a huge role in reaching that milestone. Neglected furnaces can experience early failures around 10 years, depending on other factors such as usage. 

Besides early breakdowns, furnaces can experience a heating and energy efficiency drop without a yearly tune-up.

Maintain Heating and Energy Efficiency

All heating systems are categorized by energy efficiency and heating capacity, and yearly professional maintenance can help make sure that it’s running efficiently. Furnaces without any tune-ups will require more power to heat a home, resulting in higher energy bills. On the other hand, a well-maintained furnace can help keep your energy bills. 

One final benefit of furnace maintenance is that it helps increase your chances of getting approved for warranty claims.  

Keeps Manufacturer Warranty Valid

Many of the top furnace brands, such as Goodman and Lennox, recommend keeping track of tune-ups to show you’ve been on top of maintaining your heating system. It’s common for some manufacturers to deny warranty repairs or replacement parts if a furnace experiences an issue due to a lack of tune-ups. 

Furnace repairs aren’t always cheap, so protecting your furnace’s warranty is one way to save money on repairs and part replacements. 

Is a Furnace Tune Up Worth it?

A furnace tune-up is absolutely worth it. It can benefit your furnace and provide you with peace of mind, knowing you won’t have to deal with emergency repairs in the middle of the coldest days of the year. Now that you know what is included in furnace tune ups, you can start to find a technician who offers these services with your furnace’s best interests in mind. 

Since 2007, we’ve performed maintenance and tune-ups on furnaces located all over the Los Angeles metropolitan area. We’ve seen how some 15-year-old furnaces are able to heat homes thanks to annual tune-ups. 

If you’re interested in a furnace tune-up, contact us using one of the buttons below. You can also book an appointment directly through our online HVAC scheduler.