When it comes to dealing with repairs for your furnace, something many homeowners consider is whether they can perform the repair themselves. While there are plenty of videos online that appear to walk you through how to conduct various repairs, the question becomes whether it’s a good idea. Before jumping into a repair, consider these risks you may deal with if you attempt to DIY rather than hire a professional.
You May Jeopardize Your Home’s and Family’s Safety
One of the first things professional HVAC technicians learn is respect for these incredible appliances and the risks if proper procedures aren’t followed. Not only is there the risk of combustible gas leaking into your home but there’s also the risk of causing a carbon monoxide leak.
In addition, there’s the personal risk associated with performing furnace repairs. There’s the obvious risk of burns if the gas happens to ignite. However, the furnace also uses electricity, and the unit uses something called a capacitor to store a large electrical charge to start the circulating fan. If you aren’t familiar with the proper safety procedures while working on your unit, it could result in a dangerous electric shock.
Your Unit’s Efficiency May Suffer
One of the things many homeowners keep in mind throughout the winter is how efficiently their unit runs. This not only affects how much energy it consumes during a heating cycle, but it also affects the comfort level around your home.
When performing a repair, you’ll often touch many other components along the way. If you aren’t careful to follow the proper procedures and if you don’t have the proper tools, you can cause incidental damage. This may cause your system to run less efficiently after you complete the repair. Further, not torquing something down properly, or even over-tightening things, can also impact the system’s heating efficiency. In the end, this impact on your efficiency will drive up your operational cost and cause your home to be less comfortable.
You’ll Likely Spend More
One of the primary reasons homeowners may consider a DIY furnace repair is to save some money. However, one thing we commonly hear is that the repair ended up costing a lot more than they initially expected.
When a professional performs a repair, they go beyond just getting to the one problem component and replacing it. Rather, they are looking at everything along the way to ensure that it’s all still in good working order. They usually come prepared for many common additional repairs they may face so that they can easily add it on if they find something. It’s these incidental additional findings that often cause problems for DIY projects, sending you hunting for a part that you didn’t anticipate needing. The same can happen for specialty tools you may not have but need for the particular repair.
You’ll Sacrifice Your Factory Warranty
If your furnace is these than 10 years old, there’s a chance that you may have a factory warranty still covering some parts. The trick to these warranties is that they are parts-only coverage, so you may still have to pay labor, making DIY still seem attractive.
However, there’s a key to those factory warranties you need to consider. These warranties often have terms that stipulate a professional will perform all service on the unit. Attempting to perform repairs on your furnace may invalidate your unit’s factory warranty.
It May Become Difficult to Sell Your Home
There are a few things about your HVAC system that can impact your ability to sell your home. One of those things is the maintenance and repair history. Many potential homebuyers are concerned about the safety of the furnace. When some potential buyers find out that you’ve performed DIY repairs, they may be more reluctant to purchase your property. While you may not be required to disclose who performs the repairs on your unit, you can provide the proof upon request. This documentation can give your buyers the confidence of knowing the system has been properly serviced and is safe for their family.
When people around Richmond want help with keeping their homes comfortable year-round, they have trusted Affordable Service Solutions Heating & Air Conditioning since 2012. Our team proudly offers AC and heating repair, maintenance and installation together with indoor air quality solutions. Call to schedule your furnace repair with one of our licensed technicians today.
