Pre-Season HVAC Tune-Up Checklist for Texas Homes

When the cold winter arrives in Texas, having a reliable home heating system is an absolute must. One of the best ways to ensure optimal safety, comfort, and efficiency from your heating system is to get annual maintenance service. We’ll explain what this maintenance service includes and the best time to schedule it.

What Is a Preseason HVAC Tune-up?

Two of the most common questions that we receive are, “What is an HVAC tune-up?” and “What does an HVAC tune-up include?” HVAC tune-ups are preventive maintenance services that ensure your heating and cooling system is operating safely and efficiently. Your furnace tune-up checklist should include both professional maintenance and hands-on homeowner maintenance to ensure your furnace is ready for the upcoming cold weather. All types of heating systems, including furnaces, heat pumps, boilers, and ductless mini-split systems, need professional tune-ups.

Why Tune-ups Matter Before Winter in Texas

It’s important to note that most system manufacturers require you to schedule this professional tune-up service each year to maintain the warranty coverage on your HVAC system. Professional maintenance in Texas is great for giving each internal component of your heating system the care it needs to function efficiently. When you get a preseason HVAC tune-up, you can gain peace of mind knowing that with your efficient system, you won’t need to overpay for winter heating bills.

Our maintenance plan can also ease your mind about any safety risks associated with your heating system. Routine maintenance will extend the longevity of your heater, so you can get more out of your investment. Additionally, regular tune-ups give you the necessary insight to predict when your system may need replacement. This way, you can plan for installing new equipment at a time that’s most convenient for your unique schedule.

Routine maintenance is great for ensuring better indoor air quality and overall comfort. You’ll experience fewer emergency repairs and better performance during extreme weather conditions. It’s also important to note that routine maintenance for your heater helps preserve the overall value of your home by documenting that you keep up with household maintenance.

Your Preseason HVAC Tune-up Checklist

There are various things you’ll want to do as a homeowner to prepare your heating system for winter. One of the most important things is changing the air filter. If you or another member of your household suffers from severe asthma, allergies, or a similar respiratory condition, be mindful of the filter’s rating. A filter with a minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) rating of 11 to 13 can offer superior filtration while still maintaining adequate system performance. Lower-rated filters don’t trap all the airborne contaminants that higher-rated filters do.

If you rely on a heat pump or ductless mini-split system, it’s best to inspect your outdoor condenser unit. You’ll want to ensure that it’s free from debris like leaves that can land too close to it. Additionally, you’ll need to trim back any shrubbery or low-hanging branches. There should be a good 3 feet of open-air space around your condenser unit to optimize airflow. It’s important to double-check this during the winter after a snowfall to ensure the snow doesn’t block airflow in or out of your unit.

Another must-do is checking the various vents and registers throughout your home. You’ll need to ensure that each one is fully open and not obstructed. Aim to have at least 2 to 3 feet of direct space in front of the vent to allow for adequate airflow. Lastly, you’ll need to set your thermostat before winter’s chill arrives. This will ensure that you capture as much energy savings as possible.

Be sure to set the temperature lower at times when you know you won’t be home to save money on your energy bills. If you don’t have a smart thermostat, consider upgrading to one. They come with various features that can maximize your energy savings throughout the entire winter as well as the rest of the year. It’s also a good idea to test-run your thermostat and listen for any unusual noises.

DIY Checks vs. What to Leave to the Pros

When it comes to maintenance for your heating system, it’s easy to break it down into two categories. The first is professional maintenance service that you need annually. This service is a thorough, in-depth inspection and servicing of your entire heating system intended to guarantee efficient and safe operation for the upcoming cold season. Our professional service aims to clean, inspect, tighten, lubricate, calibrate, and test all the components of your heating system.

We’ll clean your burner components and flame sensor on your fuel-burning furnace and your coils on your heat pump. We’ll test each safety mechanism to ensure it’s working properly. Our knowledgeable technicians will verify proper airflow throughout your ducting and calibrate your thermostat. These are just some of the many tasks that we’ll do to ensure your system is operating at its peak.

We offer our Airssurance maintenance plan to make getting maintenance for your heating system a breeze. This plan includes expedited priority service and an annual visit for each of your heating and air conditioning systems. You can enjoy benefits like a credit for system replacement and no surprise charges or fees.

This is much different than the maintenance that you’ll need to do as a homeowner to keep your system functioning well. It’s easiest to think of homeowner maintenance as ongoing tasks to ensure efficient system operation. You’ll need to complete tasks like checking your air vents and setting your thermostat as winter begins. There are other tasks, such as changing air filters and cleaning around your outdoor condenser unit, that you’ll need to do every one to two months.

How Tune-ups Help Prevent Emergency HVAC Calls

Many of the emergency breakdown calls that we receive for heating systems could have been prevented with adequate maintenance. During our maintenance service, we examine every component of your heating system, and we look for issues such as worn-out parts that may fail in the near future.

For example, if your blower fan belt has been fraying, it will likely break soon. Our HVAC technicians will spot this problem and replace the belt to prevent it. Our maintenance services greatly minimize your risk of experiencing an equipment failure, so they go a long way in easing your mind. This can be especially helpful for HVAC systems that have outlasted their warranty coverage period.

When to Schedule Service With G1 Air

We suggest scheduling your seasonal tune-up early in the fall so that your heater is ready to go when the cold weather settles in. This goes a long way toward ensuring your system is operating efficiently and safely, giving you peace of mind. With certified heating technicians and a customer satisfaction guarantee, you can’t go wrong when you hire us.

Call us today to schedule your next heater tune-up service in Schertz to get your system ready for winter.

Frequently Asked Questions About HVAC Tune-Ups

Whether it’s about our Airssurance maintenance plan or a typical HVAC tune-up checklist, we get many questions from homeowners just like you. Below, we’ll address some of the most common questions so that you can learn more about the subject.