What a Seasonal Tune-Up Checks Before a Yakima Summer or Winter

Yakima Valley summers run hot and the winters get properly cold, so a heating and cooling system works hard at both ends of the year. A seasonal tune-up is a scheduled visit to look that system over before the heavy season begins. It is not glamorous, but it is an easier time to find a problem than the middle of a heat wave. Here is what the visit is for, what a technician typically looks at, and how Farwest packages it in its Comfort Club plans.

What a technician typically looks at

The exact checklist varies by company and by system, so ask for theirs. In general, a tune-up on a cooling system looks at airflow, the outdoor coil, electrical connections, the condensate drain and how the system performs when it runs. A heating tune-up looks at ignition, burners, the blower, the flue and the safety controls on a gas furnace. Either way, the point is to catch wear while it is still a small part, instead of a failure on the hottest or coldest day of the year.

• Filter condition and airflow through the system
• Thermostat operation, and whether it calls for heating and cooling correctly
• Electrical connections, since loose ones create heat and lead to failures
• Outdoor unit and coil condition, along with the condensate drain
• Ignition, burners, flue and safety controls on a gas furnace
• A test run, to see how the whole system behaves once it is working

One customer review describes a service technician, Justin, who was early, called ahead for the go-ahead instead of just showing up, got right to work and gave the homeowner a couple of pointers on cleaning his own conditioner coil. A good visit should leave you knowing a little more about your own system.

Six reasons Farwest gives for a tune-up

Farwest lists six reasons for regular maintenance, and together they make a fair case.

• Improved efficiency, because a system with clean parts and good airflow does not have to work as hard.
• Prevention of costly repairs, because small issues are found before they turn into breakdowns.
• Extended lifespan, because wear is caught sooner. No visit can promise a number of years, but neglect does shorten them.
• Consistent comfort, with fewer rooms and fewer days that fall short.
• Enhanced air quality, since clean coils and fresh filters keep the system from circulating dirt.
• Manufacturer warranty compliance. Farwest notes that some manufacturers require regular maintenance to keep their warranty valid, and skipping it could void your warranty.

How the Comfort Club plans work

Farwest offers three Comfort Club maintenance plans, and each one includes two seasonal visits, one for cooling and one for heating. Prices are not listed here, so call for current pricing. Here is what each plan includes, as Farwest lists it.

Comfort Club includes two seasonal maintenance visits, a 10% discount on HVAC repairs, $400 towards HVAC system replacement, priority scheduling, a 90 day repair parts and labor warranty, and a filter in either 1 inch or 2 inch size.

Comfort Club Plus adds one home electrical safety inspection and raises the replacement credit to $600. It also lists $250 towards electrical panel upgrades and generator installs, a 12% discount on dispatch fees and on HVAC and electrical repairs, priority scheduling, a 6 month repair parts and labor warranty, and a 1 inch or 2 inch filter.

Comfort Complete includes two seasonal HVAC maintenance visits, one home electrical safety inspection, a 5 inch filter, 4 inch filter or Aprilaire filter, $1000 towards HVAC system replacement, $500 towards electrical panel upgrades and generator installation, a 15% discount on HVAC and electrical repairs, priority scheduling and a 1 year repair parts and labor warranty.

When to book

Book the cooling visit in spring, before the first stretch of hot weather, and the heating visit in early fall, before the first cold snap. Priority scheduling on a plan helps when everyone else is calling the same week. If you have skipped a season already, it is still better to book now than to wait for a no-cooling call in July.

To ask about a tune-up or about the Comfort Club plans, call Farwest Climate Control at (509) 457-5346 or book online. Tell them what you have, how old it is and what you noticed last season, and they can point you to the plan that fits.