Seasonal HVAC Tune-Ups in Derby

Closet furnaces in manufactured homes have tight clearances and depend on a sealed combustion-air connection and a roof vent. We check the vent and roof jack, the combustion-air duct, the burner and flame, and the closet door's return grille, which needs to stay clear. Where the belly duct is reachable, we look for sagging or disconnected sections. A furnace that keeps tripping its high limit often has a blocked return or a crushed duct rather than a bad part.

Condensers near the highways and industrial yards collect a greasy film that a garden hose won't remove. Our spring visit cleans the outdoor coil with a coil cleaner, tests the capacitor and contactor, tightens connections, checks refrigerant readings and the temperature drop across the indoor coil, and clears the condensate drain. On older units still running R-22, we watch for oil at the fittings, since a leak on one usually means planning a replacement.

Some residents report odors from nearby industry. A furnace filter won't remove odors, but it does control dust. We check whether your blower and return can handle a higher-rated filter and look for gaps around the return and furnace cabinet that pull air from a garage, crawlspace or utility room. During wildfire smoke, EPA suggests MERV 13 filtration where the system can handle it.

Under Colorado law, a home with gas appliances or an attached garage needs a CO alarm within 15 feet of every bedroom door once it is sold or gets permitted appliance work. We check that alarms are present and within their date. Federal safety regulators at the CPSC urge an inspection of fuel-burning appliances every year. September is the best month for the furnace visit, and late April or May for the condenser. Tune-ups need no permit; replacements go through Adams County or Commerce City. See our tune-up checklist.

About a third of Derby homes are renter-occupied. Filters in rentals often go months without a change, and that is behind a lot of limit-switch shutdowns and frozen coils. Landlords can schedule both seasonal visits and ask us to leave a filter schedule with the tenant. We put the filter size on the report and on the furnace cabinet so whoever lives there next knows what to buy.

For landlords with more than one property in the area, a written report for each home makes it easier to see which furnace or condenser is closest to replacement and budget for it, instead of finding out on the coldest night of the year.