What a Heating Tune-Up Includes
A heating tune-up is a thorough inspection, cleaning, and testing of the furnace or heating system before the season starts. We check the ignitor, clean the burner assembly, inspect the heat exchanger for cracks, test the gas valve, verify thermostat calibration, check the blower motor, inspect the flue and venting, replace or clean the filter, and test the system through a full heating cycle.
A cracked heat exchanger can leak carbon monoxide into the living space. That is not a performance issue. It is a safety issue. The warning signs include yellow or flickering burner flames instead of a steady blue, soot around the unit, or a faint chemical odor when the system runs. We test gas manifold pressure during the inspection (typically around 3.5 inches W.C. for natural gas furnaces) to confirm the gas valve is regulating correctly, and we inspect the heat exchanger directly using a borescope or visual inspection where access allows. In Las Vegas, furnaces sit idle from March through November. That long dormancy lets dust and debris collect on burners and gives small cracks time to develop without anyone noticing. A tune-up catches everything that builds up during those quiet months.
