Hello all,
I want to share an experience I had today, while on the job.
I have been working for a large utility in MN this fall, doing furnace tune-ups. Up to today, I’ve completed about 150 jobs.
I’ve been asked numerous times from homeowners if this is something that should be done on a yearly basis. To be honest with you (and being newer to the HVAC field), I sometimes struggled with the answer. On one hand, if it provides peace of mind and you have the means to do so, it is a good idea. On the other hand, it is sometimes hard to justify to a person on a fixed income to have an annual tune-up… perhaps every other year, but every year ???
Which leads me to today. My very last job of the day, I was working on a Bryant unit. Got my CO meter hooked up, and found a reading of 660 PPM. A reading of 100 PPM is considered to be unsafe, and a good possibility of a cracked heat exchanger.
I immediately shut off the furnace, went upstairs and talked with the homeowner. I indicated that I needed to ‘red tag’ her furnace, and have a 2nd tech come out to do a follow up. She actually took the news very well, and was relieved, as she has 2 very young children in the house.
She had indicated that the furnace had not been inspected for several years, and they had made a last minute decision to do it this year.
I hate to think what may have happened, if they chose to skip another year.
In summary, it may be a crapshoot. The question you have to ask yourself is: what is the price I’d pay to possibly ensure the well-being of my family.
Thanks.