How Often Should You Have Your Heater Inspected?

Depending on who you ask, you may be told to have a furnace inspection once or twice a year. Most HVAC technicians recommend at least once year, usually just before the weather starts turning cooler. Some technicians recommend twice a year; once when it turns cooler and once when it warms up toward summer. This latter idea of twice a year stems from performing a central air conditioning inspection right before summer heat hits. However, both your AC and your heating appliances are typically inspected at the same time. 

A Very Thorough Inspection 

When done properly, a heater inspection once a year is all-inclusive and all-encompassing. The technician will check your heating appliance first, but the most thorough inspections examine air conditioning, ventilation, electrical, and drainage, as they apply to your home. If you do receive so thorough an inspection, you only need to do it annually. Whether you choose to do it in the spring or late summer is entirely up to you. 

Changing Your Filters Occurs Much More Often

While an HVAC technician can check your furnace filter, they don’t generally supply a new one and change it for you. Perhaps what spawned the idea that you need more frequent furnace inspections is that you do need to swap out the filters more often. If you use the least expensive filters you will have to change the filter monthly. If you pay a little more, you may wait two months, three months, or possibly four months to change out filters. 

Extra Inspections

If your furnace has a problem and breaks down, your technician may perform an extra inspection during the repair process. Since the technician is already checking out all the parts of this heating system, he’s looking for anything else that might be a problem to save you money on future service calls. Otherwise, extra inspections any other time of the year aren’t that typical or common.