WATERLOO, Iowa — It’s getting cooler across the Cedar Valley, and that means business is heating up for furnace technicians.
The first frost generally starts a wave of distress calls from area homeowners who have switched on their furnaces and gotten no heat, technicians said.
Even with newer units, age-old problems can crop up, said Mike Fereday, president of Mike Fereday Heating & Air Conditioning in Waterloo.
“High-efficiency furnaces are out there, so there’s quite a few things different from the old pilot furnaces, because the newer ones have ignitors and flame sensors,” he said. “But even with the new ones, it’s recommended to have furnaces checked every year, for safety as well as efficiency, reasons.”
A little regular maintenance can avert a lot of “no-heat” calls, Fereday said.
“You can’t pinpoint one problem, but it’s normally from lack of maintenance,” he said. “That’s why the annual inspection is so important. If you don’t service it for a long time, you have more expensive problems.”
Parts wear out, even on newer units, so even they need regular checks, said Mike Walden, salesman with Don Lentz Heating Cooling Refrigeration & Plumbing in Waterloo.
“Most need a good cleaning more than anything,” he said. “We’ve seen some that have gone four or five years without a cleaning, and you see a lot of dust buildup and rust, with water leakage that cause fans to fail.”
A service call’s costs can range from less than $100 to several hundred dollars are more, technicians note.
“It depends; there are a lot of variables,” Walden said. “A basic clean-and-check is in the $100-120 area, but if you need parts, it could jump to $300 to $500.”
There’s a safety imperative involved in regular furnace checks, said Isaac Richmond, operations manager with Gubbels One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning in Waterloo.
“We’re seeing a lot of issues that could have been maintenance-prevented – drain lines, flames sensors, things that could have been taken care of during a maintenance inspection,” he said. “It’s important to check for carbon monoxide leaks, too. The heat exchanger needs to be inspected for cracks, especially on older furnaces.”
A new unit isn’t exempt from the need for regular checks, Richmond said.
“Every furnace should be looked at every year, even new ones, maintained like your auto,” he said. “But older ones don’t have a lot of safety features that the new ones do. It’s peace of mind. You have to worry, not if it’s going to fail but when.”
Most heating and cooling companies offer service contracts that include regular maintenance checks, at a cost estimated at $10 to $20 per month, depending on the company and the services available, Richmond said.
“There are programs out there, as you pencil it out, that are very inexpensive that give you peace of mind and catch things early so it doesn’t become a problem,” he said.
One of the area’s oldest furnace specialists, 102-year-old Fereday Heating & Air Conditioning in Waterloo, has noticed an increase in awareness among homeowners of the importance of preventive maintenance.
“I think they are more aware,” said Tom Fereday, the company’s president. “Of course we’ve had a special going, but I’ve noticed more people than normal having their furnaces checked. Even the simplest thing, like changing a filter, is important.”
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