Furnace Inspection & Tune-Up in Duluth, MN
A yearly inspection and tune-up for gas furnaces in Duluth, Superior and the towns nearby, done before the first long cold run.
Inspection sheet · furnace
Checked every visit
Thermostat and filter
Ignitor and flame sensor
Burners and flame pattern
Heat exchanger, looked at for cracks
Venting, intake and condensate
Carbon monoxide reading
Furnace inspection for Duluth homes
A furnace inspection in Duluth, MN is worth doing in September, before the first night below zero finds the worn ignitor or the dirty flame sensor for you. The parts that fail in winter usually give a warning first: a sensor coated over, an ignitor with a hairline crack, a blower motor drawing more current than it should. An inspection is looking for those warnings while the house is still warm.
What the inspection checks
Thermostat and wiring
Calls for heat and shuts off when it should.
Filter
Changed or cleaned, with the right size noted for next time.
Ignitor and flame sensor
Looked at, the sensor cleaned, the ignitor's condition noted.
Burners
Clean, even blue flame that doesn't lift or roll.
Heat exchanger
Inspected for cracks and rust, the check that matters most for safety.
Inducer, pressure switch and limits
Each safety step in the start-up proven.
Blower
Motor, wheel and capacitor checked; a dirty wheel cleaned.
Venting and CO
Flue or plastic vents clear and sealed, condensate draining, and a carbon monoxide reading.
Furnace cleaning in Duluth, MN
Most of a tune-up is cleaning: the flame sensor, the burners, the blower wheel and the area around the furnace. Dust on a blower wheel cuts the air it moves; dust on a flame sensor is the most common reason a furnace lights and then shuts off. A clean furnace also burns off less dust the first time it runs in the fall, which is the smell many people notice in October.
Furnace maintenance in Duluth, MN between visits
Check the filter every month in winter. Grey and clogged means change it.
Keep the area around the furnace clear: no boxes against it, nothing stored on top.
After a snowstorm, clear snow away from the white intake and exhaust pipes on the outside wall.
Test the carbon monoxide alarms when you change the clocks.
Notice new sounds or a furnace that starts and stops more often, and call before it quits.
Why September in the Northland
Duluth's average high falls to about 52° in October and 38° in November. When the first cold week arrives, everyone's furnace runs at once and every furnace company's phone rings at once. An inspection booked in September is done before that week, and anything it finds can be fixed before it matters.
Inspection questions
Asked before a tune-up.
How often should a furnace be inspected?
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Once a year, before the heating season. In Duluth that means September or October.
How long does a furnace inspection take?
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About an hour for most furnaces. Longer if something needs cleaning or a part needs replacing.
Is a furnace inspection the same as a tune-up?
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Here, yes: the furnace is checked and cleaned in the same visit. If a part is worn, you hear about it and its price before anything is replaced.
Do new furnaces need inspections too?
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Yes. Many manufacturers ask for yearly maintenance, and a new high-efficiency furnace still has a flame sensor, filters and vents that need checking.
Free quote
Book your furnace inspection.
A few lines are enough to start. We call back to set a time, and you get the price before any work.
Furnaces, boilers, air conditioning and heat pumps
Duluth, Superior and the towns around the harbor
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