Global HV/AC
Global Heating & Cooling LLC – Furnace MaintenanceIf you live in Chicago, your furnace is one of the most important pieces of equipment in your home. Long, cold winters mean heavy, prolonged use every heating season. That makes regular furnace maintenance not just a money-saver but a safety necessity. In this post we’ll explain why annual maintenance matters, why the heat exchanger deserves special attention, and what a professional combustion check includes.
Why schedule annual furnace maintenance?
– Safety: Furnaces burn fuel to create heat. Any fault left unchecked can create dangerous conditions — most importantly carbon monoxide (CO) exposure and fire risk. Routine maintenance identifies and corrects these hazards before they become emergencies.
– Reliability: A well-maintained furnace is less likely to fail on the coldest day of the year. Preventive maintenance reduces risky breakdowns and inconvenient emergency calls.
– Comfort: Maintenance helps your system run smoothly and consistently, keeping your home warmer and reducing temperature swings.
– Efficiency and cost savings: Clean burners, properly adjusted controls, and unobstructed airflow let your furnace operate more efficiently — lowering fuel use and monthly bills.
– Longer equipment life and warranty compliance: Seasonal tune-ups reduce wear and tear and can protect manufacturer warranties that require regular professional maintenance.
Why the heat exchanger is critical
The heat exchanger is the heart of a combustion furnace. It transfers heat from the combustion chamber into the home’s air without mixing combustion gases with the indoor air. A cracked or damaged heat exchanger can allow combustion byproducts — including carbon monoxide — to enter your living space.
Why cracks happen
– Age and metal fatigue: Repeated heating and cooling cycles cause stress and small cracks over time.
– Corrosion: Moisture and combustion byproducts can corrode metal parts.
– Overheating: Restricted airflow (dirty filters/blocked vents) or other malfunctions can overheat the exchanger and accelerate damage.
– Manufacturing defects or physical damage can also be factors, though less common.
What a professional inspection and combustion check includes
A competent technician will do more than glance at your furnace. Key elements of a comprehensive maintenance visit for combustion safety include:
– Visual inspection of the heat exchanger (and a borescope inspection if needed) to look for hairline cracks, holes, corrosion, or deformation.
– Combustion analysis with proper instruments to measure levels of O2, CO, CO2 and stack/flue temperature — verifying efficient and safe combustion.
– Checking burners, ignition system, and flame characteristics for proper operation.
– Testing draft and venting to ensure combustion gases are exhausting correctly from the home.
– Checking safety controls and limit switches that protect against overheating and unsafe operation.
– Cleaning burners, flame sensors, and other components; replacing filters; lubricating motors and inspecting belts and blowers.
– Reporting on findings and recommending repairs or replacement if the heat exchanger shows signs of failure.
Signs you should schedule service right away
– You notice soot, rust-colored staining or unusual odors near the furnace or flue.
– The furnace shuts off unexpectedly or cycles more frequently than usual.
– Family members experience unexplained headaches, dizziness, nausea, or flu-like symptoms that improve when away from home (possible CO exposure — get out and call for help).
– Visible cracks, heavy corrosion, or water in the combustion chamber/flue area.
– The furnace is older (10–15 years or more) — older heat exchangers are more likely to develop issues and should be checked annually.
Chicago-specific considerations
– Heavy seasonal use: Furnaces in Chicago run longer and harder than in milder climates, increasing wear on the heat exchanger and other components.
– Freeze-thaw and corrosion: Winter conditions and condensed moisture increase potential for corrosion and flue issues if not maintained.
– Timely pre-season tune-ups: Schedule service in early fall — before the deep cold — to ensure the system is ready when temperatures drop.
What you can do between professional visits
– Change filters regularly and use the correct filter type and MERV rating recommended by your technician.
– Keep vents and returns clear of furniture and clutter.
– Install and maintain carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home and test them regularly.
– Watch for unusual noises, odors, or performance changes and arrange service promptly.
Why hire a certified professional
Inspecting a heat exchanger and performing accurate combustion analysis require training and specialized instruments. Attempting DIY inspection is unsafe and unreliable. Choose a licensed, insured HVAC contractor with experience in combustion systems and heat exchanger evaluation — ideally a team with technicians who are NATE-certified or similarly credentialed.
Call to action
At Global Heating & Cooling LLC, we provide full furnace tune-ups, heat exchanger inspections (including combustion analysis), and fast, reliable repairs in the Chicago area. Don’t wait for a breakdown or, worse, a safety issue — schedule your annual furnace maintenance before the cold sets in. Contact us to book a tune-up or to get an immediate inspection if you suspect a problem.
Stay safe and warm this winter — schedule your furnace maintenance today.
Recent Comments