Keep your home warm with regular furnace maintenance
Dear BBB: “With this cold snap, my furnace is having a few problems keeping up. Any suggestions?”
BBB: The ideal time to have your furnace serviced is in the summer or fall when repair and maintenance companies aren’t as busy and prices may be more reasonable. Regular maintenance is crucial to the long life of this important home investment. When the weather is as cold as ours has been the past week, the efficiency of your unit, (not to mention the comfort of your family), is greatly affected by the service your furnace has – or has not – had. Yours most likely is in need of service or repair.
While most heating contractors are reputable, some would use the extreme cold weather as an excuse to gouge you. Unfortunately, many unsuspecting homeowners become victims of fraudulent and unscrupulous activities. Their emergency situations keep them from shopping around for the best contractors.
If you find your furnace needs repair, first check the warranty to find out whether any repairs or replacement parts are covered. And, if you have to buy a new furnace, you should choose a unit that’s just large enough to handle the demands of your household. Investing in a furnace that is larger than you need is a waste of your money.
Choosing a contractor can be the most important aspect of heating system replacement or repair. Check the reputations of several firms with friends and neighbors, and ask the Better Business Bureau for the contractors’ reliability reports. Get estimates on the work to be done from two or three possible contractors. Bids for extensive repair or replacement of heating systems should be submitted in writing and should include a full description of the services to be provided.
If the heating system is to be replaced, get a full written description of additional work required for the installation of ducts, registers, electric wiring, and any other work needed. Compare more than cost when examining the bids. Check the size of the equipment each contractor recommends. Ask each contractor to explain how the estimate of the required heating capacity and equipment was determined. Make sure the service and products of the contractor you use will provide the maximum benefit in both comfort and value.
Other important tips for replacing your system are:
• Check the warranty offered: what does it cover, for how long and who will honor it?
• Find out about guarantees: the contractor you choose should provide at least one year of free service labor should any malfunction occur.
• Read the final contract thoroughly and understand it clearly before signing. Be sure to keep a copy for your files.
The best way to prevent the untimely replacement of your heating system is to have it serviced regularly. For a list of ethical contractors who are members of the Better Business Bureau, or for more information about heating systems, call the Better Business Bureau’s 24-hour information hotline at 242-4222 or 1-800-989-4222.