The first cold snap in Southern Maryland always brings the same calls: a heat pump stuck on backup heat, a furnace that won't light, an oil burner that ran out of fuel or clogged its nozzle. Most of them could have been caught in October. Here's how to get ahead of it. 🍂
What you can check yourself
- Change the filter. A clogged filter is the most common cause of weak heat and high bills. Most 1-inch filters need changing every 1–3 months.
- Test the heat before you need it. Switch the thermostat to heat on a cool day and let it run 15 minutes. A little dusty smell the first time is normal; a burning or electrical smell is not.
- Clear around the outdoor unit. Leaves, mulch and plants should be at least 2 feet back from a heat pump so it can breathe and defrost.
- Look at the condensate drain on a high-efficiency furnace. If the line runs outside, make sure it can't freeze shut.
- Check your oil tank level if you heat with oil, and plan a delivery before you're below a quarter tank.
- Test your carbon monoxide alarms. If one ever sounds, leave the house and call 911.
What a professional tune-up covers
A tune-up is more than a look-over. On a furnace tune-up or heat pump tune-up we:
- Clean and check the burners or the outdoor coil
- Test the safety controls, flame sensor and limit switches
- Check the blower, the electrical connections and the capacitor
- Measure temperatures and, on heat pumps, check the defrost and backup heat
- Look over the flue and venting on gas and oil systems
- Change the nozzle and filter on oil burners
You'll get a plain-English rundown of what we found, and if anything needs fixing, you approve the price before we touch it.
Why fall, not winter
A tune-up in October or November means any worn part gets replaced on your schedule, not on the coldest night of the year when everyone is calling. It also keeps most manufacturer warranties in good standing, since they expect regular maintenance.
Tune-ups twice a year, without remembering
Members of our maintenance plans get a tune-up every spring and fall, priority scheduling and repair discounts. We reach out when it's time, so it never slips.
Ready to get on the schedule? Book online in about two minutes, or see what we do in your town: Lexington Park, Lusby, California, Leonardtown and Hollywood.