Seasonal guides · 4 min read
A yearly check-up is the cheapest way to avoid a no-heat call in January. What a technician should actually do on a tune-up, the jobs you can do yourself, and the questions that separate a real inspection from a sales visit.
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A furnace in Calgary works hard from October to April, and most of the breakdowns that happen in a cold snap give some warning in the months before. A yearly maintenance visit is where those warnings get caught.
The Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Institute of Canada (HRAI) recommends an annual check-up by a licensed heating technician, ideally before the heat goes back on for the winter. If you missed that window, now is still better than January.
HRAI lists the work a licensed technician should do on an annual heating visit. Use it as a checklist when you book, and ask for it in writing afterwards.
A carbon monoxide test
The technician should test for carbon monoxide and check that combustion gases are leaving the house the way they should. This is the safety part of the visit and the one you cannot do yourself.
Chimney, flue and venting
An inspection of the chimney or vent pipes for debris, blockages and damage. On a high-efficiency furnace that means the two plastic pipes through the outside wall as well.
Burners, ignition and safety controls
Burners cleaned and set for proper combustion and ignition, the pilot or ignition safety system checked, and the thermostat and safety controls tested.
Blower, motor and gas piping
The fan and motor cleaned, blower operation checked, and the gas piping to the furnace inspected. On older systems, the fan belt checked for wear, tension and alignment.
Any work on the gas side of a furnace — burners, gas valve, gas piping — must be done by a certified gas fitter in Alberta. Ask whether the person coming holds the ticket, not just whether the company employs someone who does.
None of these need tools or touch anything on the gas side. Together they prevent the most common winter shutdowns.
Check the filter every month
ATCO's carbon monoxide checklist says to replace the furnace filter monthly, or as needed. Hold it up to a light: if you cannot see through it, change it. A clogged filter makes the furnace overheat and shut itself off on a safety limit.
Look at the flame
If your furnace has a viewing window, ATCO says gas appliance flames should be blue. A lazy yellow or orange flame is worth mentioning to a technician.
Keep vents and the furnace area clear
Clear snow and ice from the outside vent pipes after a storm, and keep boxes, laundry and paint cans away from the furnace and water heater.
Replace the humidifier pad
If your furnace has a whole-house humidifier, the pad (water panel) does not last forever. AprilAire, for example, says to replace the water panel on most of its models once a year. A crusted, scaled pad stops adding moisture and can grow mould.
Every gas furnace, water heater and fireplace can produce carbon monoxide if something goes wrong. You cannot see or smell it.
Have a working CO alarm
The 2006 Alberta Building Code made carbon monoxide alarms a requirement in new homes with a fuel-burning appliance, and the Government of Alberta recommends them for existing homes too. Install and maintain them according to the manufacturer's instructions, and write the expiry date on the alarm.
Know the symptoms
ATCO lists headache, dizziness, fatigue, weakness, watering or burning eyes, nausea and vomiting. If several people in the house feel unwell at once, and better when they leave, think carbon monoxide.
If the alarm sounds
Get everyone out of the house first, then call 911 from outside. Do not go back in to look for the cause.
A maintenance visit is also a sales opportunity for some companies. Three questions keep it honest:
These lists are built from what each firm states on its own website, so they are who says they do the work rather than our recommendation of who does it best.