Seasonal HVAC Tune-Ups in Columbine

Columbine Knolls homes have a median build year of 1970, so many still use the original ductwork and chimney with a replacement furnace. The fall visit covers burner inspection, flame sensor cleaning, igniter and inducer tests, a heat exchanger check, CO testing in the flue and room, and draft at the water heater. At about 5,540 feet the furnace should fire roughly 22 percent below its sea-level input. We check gas pressure and confirm the orifices match the altitude.

Multi-story homes in Leawood and Vintage Reserve are more likely to have two-stage furnaces, variable-speed blowers or a second system for the upper floor. Their tune-ups add checks on staging, blower settings, and zoning if installed. If you have a newer system, confirm it was registered within the manufacturer's window; Trane and Lennox both use 60 days. We record model and serial numbers so you can check.

Many Columbine homes did not have central air originally, and the AC was added later with an evaporator coil set on top of the furnace. Those coils can be tight against the plenum, making them hard to clean and easy to clog. The spring visit cleans the outdoor coil, checks refrigerant readings, tests the capacitor and contactor, inspects the evaporator coil and condensate drain, and looks for hail damage. Units that still use R-22 refrigerant can keep running as long as they hold their charge, but a leak repair becomes expensive since new R-22 is no longer made.

Columbine's mature trees drop seeds and leaves onto outdoor units, and summer smoke from foothill fires reaches the area. EPA recommends a MERV 13 filter during smoke events if the system tolerates it. Older returns are often undersized, so we measure static pressure first. Humidifiers on the furnace need a new pad and a clear drain every fall.

Tune-ups need no permit. Replacements in the Jefferson County part of Columbine go through Jefferson County Building Safety, and the small Arapahoe portion goes through Arapahoe County. Colorado requires CO alarms within 15 feet of each sleeping room entrance on sale or after permitted gas appliance work; split-levels often need alarms on more than one level. Book the furnace visit in September and AC in April or May. Our HVAC tune-up checklist for Colorado lists every step.