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Austin Furnace Maintenance
What Eight Idle Months in a Hot Attic Do to a Furnace
An Austin furnace is switched off in March and asked to light again in November. In between, it bakes. Attic temperatures in Round Rock, Pflugerville and Kyle slab homes pass 130 degrees, and heat dries out the rubber tubing on the pressure switch, embrittles the hot-surface igniter and cooks the control board. Dust settles on the flame sensor and the burners. Dirt daubers and wasps build in the flue and the inducer housing. Meanwhile the blower under the furnace has been running for the air conditioner the whole time, and the coil above it has been dripping condensate onto the burner compartment. None of that announces itself until the thermostat calls for heat.
A fall tune-up is a rehearsal for the first cold front. We run the furnace under load in October, when a problem is a scheduled repair instead of a no-heat night with every other furnace in Travis County failing at once. On gas furnaces it is also the one safety inspection the equipment gets all year: heat exchanger, combustion and carbon monoxide, and a flue that has to draft properly through a roof nobody has looked at since the last hailstorm.
What a Radiant furnace tune-up covers in either city is laid out on our furnace maintenance page. Below is why it matters in an Austin attic, and how to get it done before the norther.
- Two visits a year with Care Club The fall furnace check and the spring AC check, both on an enrolled system, plus 5% off any repair.
- Measured, not eyeballed Gas pressure on a manometer, combustion on an analyzer, amps on a meter. Numbers you can compare next year.
- Report, then your decision Anything found is priced in writing and honored for 72 hours. Nothing is replaced without your approval.
Summer Damage
Six Parts That Fail Quietly While the Furnace Sits
These are what a fall tune-up in Austin is really looking for. Every one of them is cheaper to catch in October.
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Flame sensor
A film of summer dust and oxide stops it proving a flame. The furnace lights, runs seconds, quits. Cleaned in minutes now; a no-heat call later.
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Hot-surface igniter
Brittle after years of heating cycles and attic heat, it often cracks on the first start of the season. We test its resistance and replace weak ones.
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Pressure switch and flue
Dried tubing and a wasp nest in the inducer or vent stop the safety from proving draft. The furnace refuses to light, and it is right to.
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Heat exchanger
Rust from the AC coil dripping above it, plus age. Inspected for cracks and corrosion, because a breach puts combustion gases in your supply air.
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Blower and capacitor
It ran five months for the AC. A weak capacitor, a dirty wheel or tired bearings mean low airflow, an overheating limit trip and short cycling.
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Gas pressure and burners
Rust flakes and dust make burners light unevenly and flames turn lazy or yellow. Manifold pressure is set to spec and the burners cleaned.
The Fall Visit
What Gets Checked on an Austin Furnace Tune-Up
Gas, propane and electric furnaces, and the heating side of heat pumps, in attics, closets and garages across the metro.
- Heat exchanger and combustion Visual inspection of the exchanger and a combustion analysis at the flue, including carbon monoxide, on every gas furnace.
- Ignition and flame proving Igniter tested, flame sensor cleaned, burners cleaned and the full ignition sequence timed from call for heat to steady flame.
- Gas pressure and valve Manifold pressure measured and adjusted to the nameplate, gas connections checked for leaks, propane regulators verified.
- Venting and draft Flue pipe, roof termination, inducer motor and pressure switch tubing inspected and the draft confirmed, so exhaust leaves the house.
- Blower, filter and airflow Blower wheel, motor amps and capacitor checked, filter replaced or fitted correctly, temperature rise across the furnace measured.
- Safeties and controls High-limit, rollout switches, float switch on the coil pan and thermostat staging tested, and the drain line cleared before it matters.
How It Works
A Furnace Tune-Up, Booked to Done
Ideally in October. Any month before the first freeze beats the week after it.
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Pick a fall window
Weekday, evening or weekend at the same price. Care Club members book with priority and pay no dispatch fee.
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Inspect, clean, measure
The checklist above, run with the furnace under load, and the AC coil and drain above it looked over while the panel is off.
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Straight findings
What passed, what is wearing, and what we would fix before winter, with a written price honored for 72 hours. No pressure either way.
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A full heat cycle
Approved work done, then the furnace run from a cold start through a complete cycle before we leave the attic.
Current Specials
Save on the work your home needs most.
Has Your Furnace Run Yet This Year?
Book the fall tune-up before the first cold front. Care Club members have it included.
What Our Customers Say
Don't just take our word for it — hear from our satisfied customers
★★★★★
Our 18 year old HVAC system finally gave out this past week, so we reached out to Radiant to see what could be done. They sent a tech out named Bryan the same day, and he did a great job looking over the entire HVAC system. He was friendly and helpful in explaining everything that he saw, and our options moving forward. We decided to replace the entire system, so we met with Jacob (same day thankfully) to find the best HVAC system for our needs. Jacob was friendly, professional, and did a great job explaining the different options on offer. Radiant was able to set-up next day install, which was much appreciated, because the temps were still going to be cold in the coming days.
The install team consisted of Carlos and Pablo, who were very courteous and professional, and were kind enough to answer any questions I had regarding the install. They did a great job installing our new HVAC system, and were tidy which is always appreciated! Before they left, they explained everything that had been done, and showed me photos of the work.
Our entire experience from start to finish was great. I appreciate that they send photos of who is coming to your home too. Friendly, kind, professional team members, and good work all the way around. Thanks Radiant!
The install team consisted of Carlos and Pablo, who were very courteous and professional, and were kind enough to answer any questions I had regarding the install. They did a great job installing our new HVAC system, and were tidy which is always appreciated! Before they left, they explained everything that had been done, and showed me photos of the work.
Our entire experience from start to finish was great. I appreciate that they send photos of who is coming to your home too. Friendly, kind, professional team members, and good work all the way around. Thanks Radiant!
★★★★★
This is the first time I’ve used radiant my neighbor recommended them…. I called them today and they set me up an appointment on the same day. I was totally shocked at that and the service call was only $39!!…. Highly recommend them Danielle showed up and he was a great guy and he put up with all my wishy-washiness and I had to hurry him because I was heading to church and he got caught in a lot of traffic getting here he even would’ve installed the part that broke but I Didn’t have the time tonight….. He was patient with me and just told me to call the office first thing in the morning and get a service call set up…. Thank you so much Radiant!!….
With another cold front coming in tomorrow now I just hope they can get me scheduled for a separate call tomorrow but I have a feeling they will. They are such a great company!!😊😊
With another cold front coming in tomorrow now I just hope they can get me scheduled for a separate call tomorrow but I have a feeling they will. They are such a great company!!😊😊
★★★★★
My unit had been acting funky for a bit and then decided it would shed its mortal coil and go to the next life. I called an another company lets call them company A since I had a warranty with them thinking I could save a few bucks. They showed up 2 hours late of given window. Warranty didnt cover any of the perceived issues ( not really their fault, maybe). Double billed me (why pay 700 for a service call when you can pay 1400!!! ie: they ran my card twice) and then even though issue still wasnt fixed wanted to upsell me some more for close to 3k or get another sweet unit for an overpriced amount.
I'll admit I was getting desperate. Do I let the giant commercial bad guys win? Give them all my money I could be using on fishing gear? My neighbor happens to work at Schmidt Mechanical Group (shout out to Jared) and got me in touch with their service technicians for a 2nd opinion. ENTER Richard Moreno. Showed up at the beginning of time window. Diagnosed the multiple issues in a timely manner. Explained to me what was going on and why and hand held me through what needed to be done now and what to expect in the future. Worked on both of my units. My bill came to a FRACTION of what was recommended by company A. Mr. Moreno was very professional, kind, and honest. As a first time home owner whos been bamboozled by companies like company A, Schmidt Mechanical Group just gained a customer for life. Look forward to doing more business with them and their techs are awesome. Dont be like me and use company A first. Use this company.
I'll admit I was getting desperate. Do I let the giant commercial bad guys win? Give them all my money I could be using on fishing gear? My neighbor happens to work at Schmidt Mechanical Group (shout out to Jared) and got me in touch with their service technicians for a 2nd opinion. ENTER Richard Moreno. Showed up at the beginning of time window. Diagnosed the multiple issues in a timely manner. Explained to me what was going on and why and hand held me through what needed to be done now and what to expect in the future. Worked on both of my units. My bill came to a FRACTION of what was recommended by company A. Mr. Moreno was very professional, kind, and honest. As a first time home owner whos been bamboozled by companies like company A, Schmidt Mechanical Group just gained a customer for life. Look forward to doing more business with them and their techs are awesome. Dont be like me and use company A first. Use this company.
Maintenance Membership
Join the Care Club
Home maintenance for $9.99 a month.
Care Club members get two HVAC tune-ups and a plumbing safety inspection every year, priority scheduling, no dispatch fees — ever — and 5% off every repair.
- Priority scheduling
- Seasonal HVAC tune-ups
- Annual safety inspection
- Exclusive member discounts
- Free dispatch on repairs
- No long-term contracts
Austin Furnace Maintenance Questions
Does a furnace tune-up include a carbon monoxide test?
On a gas or propane furnace, yes. The technician runs a combustion analysis at the flue, which reads carbon monoxide along with the other combustion numbers, inspects the heat exchanger for cracks and corrosion, and confirms the vent is drafting so exhaust leaves through the roof rather than the return. Those three checks together are what tells you the furnace is safe to run, and an attic furnace in Austin gets them once a year at most, because nobody goes up there otherwise. We also look at where your CO alarms are and how old they are; alarms have a replacement date printed on the back, and a fresh one near the bedrooms is cheap insurance. If a furnace fails the combustion or exchanger check, we shut it down, show you why and quote the fix or the replacement.
Can you tune up the heating side of a heat pump, or only gas furnaces?
Both, and the heat pump check is a different list. There is no combustion to test, so the fall visit focuses on the parts that only matter in winter: the reversing valve shifting cleanly, the defrost control and outdoor sensor, the electric backup strips staging on and off at the right time, and the outdoor coil being clean enough to pull heat from 40-degree air. We also check the thermostat is set up so backup heat runs only when it should, because strips running by mistake are why some Leander and Hutto homeowners open a shocking January electric bill. Care Club’s two annual tune-ups fit a heat pump well, since it works every month of the year. Our Austin heat pumps page covers the system in more depth.
If the tune-up finds a part that is failing, is the repair extra?
Yes, and we tell you before anything is done. The tune-up covers the inspection, cleaning, adjustments and testing. A part that measures out of spec, say an igniter with high resistance or a capacitor reading low, is quoted separately in writing, and that price is honored for 72 hours so you can think it over. Care Club members get 5% off the repair. Small parts often ride on the truck, so a repair you approve can frequently be done during the same visit, but the choice is always yours, and a furnace that passes gets a clean report and nothing else. We would rather you know a part is marginal in October and decide then than find out on a freeze night when every truck in Austin is busy.
Is it too late for a furnace tune-up once it is already cold?
No. A tune-up in December or January still catches the marginal igniter, cleans the flame sensor and runs the safety checks; it just does it with less margin. The reason we push for October is scheduling and risk. Before the first front the calendar is open and a problem becomes a routine repair. After a norther arrives, no-heat calls come in by the hundred across the metro, and a furnace that would have shown its weak part in a calm visit shows it at 2 a.m. instead. If you missed fall, book the next mild stretch rather than waiting for spring, and if the furnace has already failed, that is a furnace repair call we take 24/7 at the same price as a weekday.
*Offers cannot be combined with other promotions or applied to dispatch fees. No cash value. Must present offer at time of service. Call for details.
