Seasonal HVAC Tune-Ups in Firestone

Equipment installed when Barefoot Lakes opened is around ten years old. Many manufacturers' registered parts warranties run about ten years, while unregistered equipment often falls back to a shorter base warranty. Trane, for example, typically offers ten years on parts if registered within 60 days, and five if not. If you are not sure your system was registered, we read the serial numbers so you can check with the manufacturer before a part fails. Homes built more recently should register now, within the 60-day window.

Firestone's builders mostly installed 90-plus percent furnaces with PVC pipes through a side wall. Wind across open prairie piles snow against those pipes, and a blocked intake or exhaust shuts the furnace off. We check clearances and screens each fall and clean the condensate trap and drain, another common cause of a furnace that quits on the first cold night.

Dust from construction, farm fields and dirt roads collects on condenser coils and evaporator coils. The spring visit cleans the outdoor coil, checks refrigerant readings, tests the capacitor and contactor, and inspects for hail damage. In two-story homes with one system, we check upstairs airflow and show you how to use any balancing dampers. During construction nearby, check filters monthly.

Many Firestone owners have swapped the builder thermostat for a smart model. Those swaps sometimes leave a two-stage furnace running only on low fire, a variable-speed blower on a default profile, or a thermostat stealing power from the furnace circuit because there was no common wire. Symptoms include short cycling, a furnace that never seems to catch up on cold nights, or a thermostat that reboots. During the tune-up we check the wiring and the installer settings and confirm the equipment stages the way it should.

Many Firestone homes, including Barefoot Lakes, get gas from Black Hills Energy and electricity from United Power, though it varies by address. Rebates depend on your utility. Winters are dry, and builder-installed humidifiers need a new pad, a clear drain and a valve check each fall.

Tune-ups need no permit; the Firestone Building Division issues permits for furnace and AC replacements. Colorado law requires CO alarms within 15 feet of each sleeping room entrance when a home with gas appliances or an attached garage is sold, or after permitted gas appliance work. Book heating service in September and cooling service in April or May. Our Colorado HVAC tune-up checklist has the full list.