“What’s That Technician Doing in My Basement?”

Part one of a two-part post about the Murray Heutz Annual Service Report Card

You’ve probably heard us say that routine annual maintenance is one of the most important ways to protect the investment you’ve made in your home heating system – but what actually happens during annual maintenance to make it so important?

Mostly, your technician is looking for ways to make your heating system perform better – or to spot a small issue before it becomes a big problem.

In our annual tune-ups, we do everything from adjusting your oil burner to performing your TankSure inspection as part of our multipoint once-over (included in all our heating system Service Plans).

But we also go a bit farther than most heating oil and HVAC companies when it comes to helping you understand the work we’re doing. Included in every Murray-Heutz Annual Equipment Service visit is a Report Card that summarizes six of the most important measurements we take. If we discover a problem, we’ll make some suggestions for next steps to solve it.

In this first of a two-part post, we’ll talk about the first three measurements we take – and why they’re so important to the health of your heating system.

The Murray Heutz Annual Equipment Service Report Card – What we measure, Part One

1. Exhaust draft – Your technician will measure the how strong the flow of air is that carries heating system emissions away from your home. Keeping this value within normal limits means emissions are being removed from your home safely; it also means the air that you’re paying to heat is staying in your living space rather than escaping.
2. Carbon dioxide percentage – Your technician measures the output of carbon dioxide (CO2) from your heating equipment. Carbon dioxide is a safe and desired by-product of the operation of your heating system. A CO2 reading outside normal range can indicate incorrect mix of oxygen and hydrogen during the combustion process, which could mean that your system isn’t running as efficiently as it should.
3. Exhaust temperature – Your technician measures the temperature of the air leaving your home. A higher than normal reading can mean you’re losing too much heat to your chimney; by measuring this temperature we can tell if you are getting the most value from your heating system. The temperature range we expect to find depends on the type of system you own.

Next week we’ll take a look our three remaining Report Card measures: smoke, carbon monoxide, and combustion efficiency. Stay tuned!

Did you know that 80 percent of the most common (and expensive) heating system repairs come as a result of neglecting routine maintenance? Don’t skip your annual equipment service – schedule yours today!