HomeServe Promotes National Tune-Up Day as a Reminder for Homeowners to Maintain Their Furnace Before Winter Heating Season

Maintenance Saves Money, Avoids Inconvenience and Improves Safety

National Tune-Up Day is on September 25 and serves as a reminder to homeowners that their heating system requires annual maintenance performed by a professional technician to keep their homes comfortable and safe throughout the winter heating season.

A furnace tune-up takes approximately an hour and involves a checklist of items that, depending upon the type of system, includes an inspection of safety systems and controls, thermostats, burners, the pilot, the gauge and low water cut-off, as well as filters and belts, the flue pipe and chimney draft, motors and pumps, the blower assembly and more.

“Many malfunctioning furnaces fail during a cold snap,” HomeServe North America CEO Tom Rusin explains. “Which, of course, is the worst time for your furnace to stop working. And unfortunately, with the shortage of skilled trade contractors, you may be waiting longer than expected for a repair. Homeowners can help avoid this delay with a simple tune-up to ensure your furnace is working properly and safely before the cold sets in.”

HomeServe’s 2024 State of the Home survey had some significant findings about homeowners and their HVAC systems.

• Homeowners identified losing their heating as one of their greatest winter worries, well above frozen pipes and an electrical outage. Additionally, 35% of homeowners said their heating system is 11 years old or older so many systems are operating on borrowed time.
• HVAC repairs are the most common home repair emergency with 26% of Americans saying they’d had a related HVAC repair in the past twelve months.
• While HVAC emergency repairs are all too common, only a third said they planned to get a tune-up this fall. This means that two-thirds of homeowners are not planning to have this necessary maintenance done in advance of the winter heating season.
• Homeowners prefer not to DIY their furnace maintenance, with an overwhelming 86% saying they would leave HVAC repairs to the pros.
• Cost ranks as a top concern among homeowners when it comes to home repairs, topping concerns about speed of service and customer experience. This is not surprising given that 41% of homeowners have $500 or less set aside for home repairs, and 20% – or one in five – have no savings at all.

A well-maintained heating system saves homeowners money in avoidable repair costs. The cost of a gas boiler or furnace tune-up averages $99, while repairing a furnace averages five times the price of a tune-up and costs up to $500, according to HomeServe data.

Not maintaining a heating system also can be dangerous. For example, a blocked flue or exhaust vent could potentially expose homeowners to carbon monoxide. The Centers for Disease Control recommends a combination of annual tune-ups and carbon monoxide detectors to avoid accidental exposure, which sends more than 100,000 to the emergency room each year.

For more information on National Tune-Up Day, please visit our website - www.NationalTuneUpDay.com.

About HomeServe USA

HomeServe USA Corp. (HomeServe), a leading residential infrastructure home repair solutions company with nearly 5 million customers across North America, offers protection plans that help protect homeowners against the expense and inconvenience of plumbing, electrical, HVAC and other home repair emergencies. HomeServe empowers its over 1,300 leading municipal and utility partners to educate and advocate for their customers who are faced with home repair emergencies.

HomeServe has an exceptional customer satisfaction rating, is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and is endorsed by the National League of Cities. For more information about HomeServe and to get the latest home repair advice and customer stories, please go to www.homeserve.com. Connect with HomeServe on Facebook and Twitter @HomeServeUSA, Instagram @HomeServe_USA and on LinkedIn @HomeServe-USA. For company news, follow on Twitter @HomeServeUSNews.

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