Seasonal HVAC Tune-Ups in Lyons

Homes and buildings in the downtown historic district have thick stone walls and older chimneys. Appliances venting into those chimneys need draft testing every year, especially a water heater left alone after a furnace was changed to PVC venting. Basements are often small with limited combustion air. We check clearances and air supply and test CO at each gas appliance.

Natural gas serves most of town, but properties up the canyons and in the hills often use propane. Propane furnaces need propane-specific orifices and regulator pressure, adjusted for altitude. We check flame quality, CO and the appliance connector on the house side. The tank, regulator and supply line are maintained by your propane company; ask them to inspect those, and keep snow cleared from the tank and regulator vent.

Wind funnels out of the canyons in winter, loosening vent caps, condenser panels and the screens on high-efficiency furnace terminations. We check each on every visit. Lyons has seen nearby wildfires, and smoke can sit in the valley. EPA recommends MERV 13 filtration if the system can handle it, more fan run time, and closing outdoor-air intakes. We measure static pressure before recommending a heavier filter, since small older duct systems may not tolerate it.

Small historic houses in Lyons often have no room for ductwork, and ductless mini-split heat pumps have become a common way to add cooling and efficient heat. Their indoor heads pull room air through washable filters and over a coil that collects dust and, in summer, can grow mold if neglected. A tune-up cleans the filters, coil and blower wheel, checks the condensate line, and inspects the outdoor unit. In winter the outdoor unit must be able to drain melted frost, so it should sit on a stand or bracket above the snow line and away from roof drip lines.

Homes from the 1990s in Steamboat Valley often have their original condenser or a first replacement. A spring visit cleans the outdoor coil, checks refrigerant readings, tests the capacitor and contactor, and inspects for hail and wind damage. Inside we check the evaporator coil and drain. Because Lyons sells its own electricity, rebate programs differ from Xcel territory; check with the Town's electric utility before planning any upgrade.

Tune-ups need no permit. Replacements require a Town contractor license and a permit through SAFEbuilt, which runs the Lyons building department, plus a floodplain permit for work in the floodplain. Colorado law requires CO alarms within 15 feet of each sleeping room entrance when a home with gas appliances is sold or has permitted appliance replacement. Book heating service in early September and cooling in May. Our HVAC tune-up checklist for Colorado lists each step.