One of the items that comes up on almost every real estate transaction is the home’s heating system. Oil, gas or electric or other systems need to be regularly inspected for safety and to prolong their life span.  

Here are the top reasons you as a homeowner should have your heating system checked out.

Your Money – As part of a real estate sale structural inspection, the buyer’s inspector will be looking at the heating system to see how often and how recently it has been serviced. If they see the last service tag entry is from several years ago (or often, none), they are going to advise the buyer to have a heating system inspection. If the furnace is over 10-15 years old, structural inspectors may warn the buyer that the system could be near the end of its life expectancy. Life spans vary widely depending on type of furnace, etc. (A general Google search of “heating system life span” shows 15-25 years.) Suddenly, the buyer sees big dollar signs and then you are in for an expensive negotiation. However, if the buyer’s inspector sees regular service tag entries from every year, then they are likely to tell the buyer that this heating system appears in good condition due to regular service and the buyer moves forward without negotiation.

Your Safety – A lot of heating systems have heat-exchangers. They are usually made from metal that expands and contracts with every heat cycle. Heat exchangers can, and eventually will, crack. This can expose the system and your home to carbon monoxide which is a silent killer. As part of a real estate transaction, it is required that the seller provide carbon monoxide detectors in the home. You should have the heat exchanger inspected regularly as part of the heater inspection. Also install carbon monoxide detectors now if you do not already have them. See more information from the Environmental Protection Agency here: https://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/where-should-i-place-carbon-monoxide-detector

Economy – Having the heating system regularly tuned up helps it run more efficiently and keeps the chimney/vents cleaner. A rough-running furnace can also damage other internal parts of the heater, causing expensive service calls, parts, and potential new system.

Loss of Heat at the Worst Time – Did you know that if your furnace breaks during the cold winter months it is very difficult to quickly get a service tech out to the home? You can be without heat for weeks sometimes as the service companies give preference to those clients who tune up regularly with them. Not a great situation to be in when the temperatures are below freezing. This leaves your water pipes subject to freezing, and it leaves you out in the cold!

Peace of Mind – Having your furnace inspected and tuned up gives you peace of mind. Prevention is not usually expensive and will save you money in the long run. We recommend having the furnace checked every August ahead of the heating season. That way you are ready, and you are safe.

 

Our Team is always here to help advise you on home ownership.  Reach out any time, we are happy to help.

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