Furnace Maintenance and Tune-Up in Northern Utah

Is your furnace ready for another Northern Utah winter?

The surest way to know is a furnace tune-up in early fall, before the first hard freeze. We clean, test and adjust the parts that wear out, and we make sure the furnace burns and vents safely. Around here a furnace can run for months with barely a break. Sub-zero nights and freeze-thaw swings are hard on igniters, flame sensors, blower motors and filters. Furnace maintenance catches small problems while they are still small. Some people call it heating maintenance and some call it a furnace tune-up. Either way, it is the same yearly visit, for gas and electric furnaces alike. If you heat with a heat pump or a boiler, those systems have their own maintenance pages.

Warning signs your furnace needs a tune-up

It turns on and off every few minutes

This is called short cycling: the furnace starts, runs briefly and shuts off again. It often means a dirty flame sensor or a clogged filter. It can also mean the furnace is overheating and tripping its own safety switch. Short cycling wastes fuel and wears parts out faster.

Some rooms never warm up

Weak airflow at the vents usually points to a dirty filter or a dusty blower wheel. It can also be a blower motor that is starting to struggle. The furnace makes the heat, but it cannot push enough of it through the house.

New noises when the heat kicks on

A squeal can be a worn motor bearing. A rattle can be a loose panel. A loud bang at startup often means the gas is lighting late because the burners are dirty. Any new sound is worth a look before the coldest weeks arrive.

A yellow flame or an odd smell

A healthy burner flame is steady and mostly blue. A yellow or flickering flame means the furnace is not burning cleanly. So does a sulfur smell, or a burning smell that lasts past the first few days of the season. Have it checked soon. If you smell gas, leave the house and call your gas company first.

Common causes of furnace trouble we find at tune-ups

Dust and a neglected filter

Seasonal dust loads up furnace filters across Northern Utah, and some years wildfire smoke adds to it. A clogged filter starves the furnace of air. The furnace then runs hot and shuts itself off to stay safe.

A dirty flame sensor or worn igniter

The flame sensor is a small metal rod that proves the burner has lit. A thin coat of residue can make it miss the flame. When that happens, the furnace shuts off the gas and tries again. Igniters also wear out and crack with age.

Loose wiring and dry moving parts

A full season of heating cycles loosens electrical connections and dries out bearings. A loose connection can overheat a part. A dry bearing makes the blower motor work harder and fail sooner.

Venting problems

The flue pipe carries exhaust, including carbon monoxide, out of your home. A loose joint or a blocked vent can keep that exhaust from leaving the way it should. High-efficiency furnaces vent through plastic pipes on an outside wall or the roof, and snow and ice can cover them.

What to expect at your furnace tune-up

Call us or schedule online, and we will set a time during business hours. Our technician starts by asking how the furnace has been acting. We also check its age and service history. Then the work begins:

• Clean the burners and the ignition assembly, and clean and test the flame sensor and igniter.
• Test the safety controls, including the limit and rollout switches that shut the furnace down when something is wrong.
• Tighten electrical connections, check the blower motor and capacitor, and lubricate moving parts where needed.
• Measure airflow and temperature rise, the difference between the air going into the furnace and the air coming out.
• Check that your thermostat reads the room correctly and calls for heat when it should.
• Clean or replace the air filter.

Safety inspection and carbon monoxide testing

Every tune-up includes a safety inspection. First we look over the heat exchanger for cracks and damage. That is the metal chamber that keeps combustion gases apart from the air you breathe. Next we run a combustion analysis, which measures how cleanly and efficiently the furnace burns. We test for carbon monoxide around the furnace and its venting, and we check the flue for a proper draft. If we find a cracked heat exchanger or an unsafe reading, we show you what we found. Then we talk through your options before anything else happens. Between visits, keep working carbon monoxide alarms in your home and test them monthly.

When we finish, we explain what we found in plain words. If a part needs repair, you get the price before any work starts. Repairs come with a warranty on parts and labor. If your furnace is near the end of its life, we will tell you honestly. We can explain what furnace replacement would involve, with no pressure.

Want a yearly check of the whole house on the calendar? Look at our VIP Maintenance Plan. It costs $240 a year and includes one 2-hour visit a year covering an 88-point HVAC and plumbing inspection, a 1-inch filter replacement and a written report. Members also get 10% off repairs and priority scheduling.

Furnace maintenance across Northern Utah

We do furnace tune-ups from our home base in Brigham City across three areas.

Box Elder County. Brigham City, Perry, Willard, Corinne, Mantua and Tremonton. Winters here are long and cold. A furnace that skips its fall check can run hard for months before anyone notices a problem.

Cache Valley. Hyrum, Nibley, Logan, North Logan and Smithfield. Winter inversions keep homes closed up for weeks at a time. That makes a clean filter and safe venting even more important.

Weber and Davis County. North Ogden, Ogden, South Ogden and Layton. Older furnaces in established neighborhoods need their burners and heat exchangers watched closely. Newer high-efficiency furnaces in recent subdivisions need clear vent pipes and drain lines.

Related services

If your tune-up turns up a failing part, our furnace repair page explains how we track it down and fix it. Want your air conditioner checked in spring as well? See our seasonal tune-ups. A smart thermostat also makes it easy to set lower temperatures while you are away or asleep.

Schedule your furnace tune-up

Call (435) 730-2536 Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 6 PM, or schedule online. Your Comfort Heating & Air is licensed and insured. It helps to book before you turn the heat on for the season.