Fall Furnace Tune-Up: What's Worth the Money

"Furnace tune-up" means different things to different companies. Here's what a real one looks like, what's fluff, and what you absolutely shouldn't skip.

The non-negotiable safety checks

These are the reasons you do a tune-up, not "to maintain efficiency":

• **Heat exchanger inspection.** Visual + borescope. Looking for cracks. A cracked heat exchanger leaks CO into the supply air you breathe.
• **CO test at the supply register.** With a calibrated CO meter, ambient and supply both. Anything above 9 ppm = something's wrong.
• **Flue draft test.** Confirms exhaust is leaving the house and not spilling back into the basement.
• **Gas valve and burner check.** Clean orifices, proper flame, no roll-out, no delayed ignition.
• **Limit switch and pressure switch test.** Both are safeties. Both should trip when forced.

Real efficiency gains

• **Clean burners and flame sensor.** Ten minutes, makes the difference between firing first try and lockout codes mid-winter.
• **Replace the filter.** Should be obvious. Bring a fresh one to swap in.
• **Clean the blower wheel.** A dirty squirrel-cage loses ~10% of its airflow. Big efficiency win.
• **Lubricate motors.** Some still have oil ports. Most newer ones are sealed.
• **Tighten electrical connections.** Loose lugs = arcing = future component failure.

The fluff

• "Treating" the furnace with mystery products. None of it does anything.
• Replacing parts that aren't bad. If a tech is selling you a new pressure switch on a tune-up, ask why.
• "Coil cleaning" if you don't have a heat pump or AC. The furnace doesn't have an outdoor coil.

What we charge

$179 for a regular customer, $219 for a first-time tune-up. The first-time call takes longer because we're documenting your equipment for the file.

You can DIY filter changes and the visual inspection. Everything involving combustion and CO needs a TSSA-licensed technician with the right meters.

Book a tune-up: (416) 258-2460.