Your furnace may not be your priority right now. It rests unobtrusively in the cellar or utility room, forgotten, until it fails. However, failing to clean a furnace may result in some rather unpleasant surprises, and it tends to strike your wallet more seriously. Here is what it actually costs to forego this critical home service.
Repairs you had not seen coming
Think of your furnace as a car. For instance, when you don’t change the oil, parts begin to wear out quickly. A clogged furnace would have to make extra effort to send warm air through dust-clogged filters, vents, and components. That additional load may result in issues like:
- Fan breakdown
- Motor overload
- Sensor misbehavior.
That repair does not come cheap. Replacing a blower motor can set you back hundreds, even thousands of dollars. A simple furnace cleaning in Edmonton can save you from such costly repairs in the future.
Premature replacements
The majority of furnaces are designed to last 15-20 years when they are well taken care of. Missing cleanings results in dust and debris accumulating within the system. This leads to uneven wear and tear of the parts in question and heat exchangers cracking under increased stress.
When this occurs, you may need to replace your entire furnace years ahead of schedule. It is not a small cost. It is a multi-thousand-dollar blow that could have been postponed with some basic preventive attention.
Bigger monthly bills
A furnace that is dirty will silently cost you more and more every single month, even before repairs or replacements are considered. Obstructed airflow requires your system to use additional power to deliver heat inside your house. This simply implies that your furnace will:
- Operate for a longer time
- Consume more gas or electricity
- Inflate your utility bills.
It may not be significant at first, perhaps a few dollars extra a month. However, that can quickly add up over a winter, and year in year out.
Health problems
Here is a price that cannot be expressed in dollars: your health. Dust, pet fur, pollen, and mold spores can build up in your furnace over time. Every time you switch it on, these allergens make rounds throughout your house.
Suppose any member of your family has allergies, asthma, or other breathing problems. In that case, this may result in an increase in symptoms, medication, and hospital visits. You may be healthy in general, but every single day you inhale polluted air. That is not a good quality of life.
The bottom line
It may be tempting to dismiss furnace cleaning as just another bill. But the truth is that it is money you spend to make your home warm, your air healthy, and your wallet full. Annual professional cleaning costs a fraction of the repairs, replacements, and health issues of negligence.
Therefore, the next time you want to neglect it, consider what is actually at peril and accord your furnace the care it deserves. The future you, your family, and your wallet will be grateful.