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Furnace Maintenance
Eight Months Off Is Harder on a Furnace Than Eight Months On
People assume a furnace that barely runs barely needs service. In Central Texas the opposite is closer to the truth. From spring to late fall the burners sit cold in an attic that bakes at 130 degrees, dust settles on the flame sensor and the igniter, insects find their way into the burner compartment, and the rubber hose on the pressure switch dries out. The blower, meanwhile, has been running the air conditioner every day. When the first norther arrives, the furnace is asked to light cleanly, prove its flame and hold a safe temperature with parts that have not moved since February.
A fall tune-up is when we find those problems while they are still small. We clean the flame sensor instead of replacing it in December. We test the igniter’s resistance and tell you if it is on its last season. We check the heat exchanger for cracks and the venting for blockages, because those are the failures that put carbon monoxide in the house. And we test every safety control, so that if something does go wrong, the furnace shuts itself down the way it is designed to.
Care Club members get two HVAC tune-ups a year on the enrolled system for $9.99 a month, with no dispatch fees and 5% off any repair we find. Most of our members pair the fall furnace visit with a spring AC tune-up.
Looking for your local team? See furnace maintenance in Austin or furnace maintenance in San Antonio.
- Combustion checked, not eyeballed Burners, flame sensor, igniter, gas pressure and heat exchanger, tested with instruments.
- Every safety control tested Limit, rollout and pressure switches, and the venting that keeps exhaust out of your air.
- No sales pitch If we find a problem, you get a written price and a straight answer on whether it can wait.
Why It Matters
What a Skipped Tune-Up Turns Into
Every one of these starts as something a technician would have caught in October.
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No heat on the first cold night
A film on the flame sensor or a brittle igniter. Ten minutes in the fall; an after-hours call in December when every furnace in town is failing at once.
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Carbon monoxide in the house
A cracked heat exchanger or a blocked flue does not announce itself. A tune-up inspects both, and a detector should back it up year-round.
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A winter bill that makes no sense
Dirty burners, a clogged filter or heat strips running when they should not. All three show up on a tune-up before they show up on a statement.
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A blower that dies mid-season
The motor and capacitor have been working all summer. We test the capacitor and the amp draw so a weak one gets replaced on your schedule, not its own.
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A warranty claim that gets denied
Many manufacturers expect documented maintenance. A tune-up record is cheap insurance on a part that is not.
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A furnace that ages faster than it should
Dirt on the burners and a restricted filter make the heat exchanger run hotter every cycle. That is what shortens its life.
What We Check
What a Radiant Furnace Tune-Up Covers
The same visit for a gas furnace, an electric furnace or a heat-strip air handler, with the checks that fit the equipment.
- Burners, igniter and flame sensor Cleaned, inspected for cracks and corrosion, and tested for a clean, stable light-off.
- Heat exchanger and venting Inspected for cracks, rust and blockages. The flue and vent connector checked for draft and separation.
- Gas pressure and temperature rise Measured against the rating plate, so the furnace runs the way the manufacturer designed it to.
- Safety controls Limit switch, rollout switches, pressure switch and door switch, each confirmed to shut the furnace down when it should.
- Blower, capacitor and filter Motor amp draw, capacitor rating, blower wheel condition and a filter check with a swap if you have one on hand.
- Electrical and thermostat Wiring connections tightened, control board checked for fault history, thermostat calibration and staging verified.
How It Works
What a Tune-Up Visit Looks Like
About an hour, most of it at the furnace, and a plain-language report at the end.
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Book it before the cold
September through November is ideal. Care Club members get priority scheduling and no dispatch fee.
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Clean, test and measure
A licensed technician works through the burner side, the blower side and the safety controls with instruments, not a glance.
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You get the findings
What is fine, what is wearing and what needs attention now, with a written price on anything we recommend. No pressure.
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Heat is ready
We run a full cycle, confirm the temperature rise and leave the furnace ready for the first front.
Current Specials
Save on the work your home needs most.
Has Your Furnace Been Checked This Year?
Book a fall tune-up, or join Care Club and get two a year with no dispatch fees.
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
Furnace Maintenance Questions
What does a Radiant furnace tune-up actually include?
On a gas furnace: we clean the burners and flame sensor, test the igniter, measure gas pressure and temperature rise against the rating plate, inspect the heat exchanger for cracks and the venting for blockages, and test the limit, rollout, pressure and door switches to confirm each one shuts the furnace down when it should. Then the blower side: motor amp draw, capacitor rating, blower wheel condition and the filter. On an electric furnace or heat-strip air handler, the combustion checks are replaced by element and sequencer testing. Every visit ends with a full heating cycle and a written summary of what we found, with a price on anything we recommend.
When should I schedule furnace maintenance in Austin or San Antonio?
September through November, before the first real cold front. The attic is still tolerable, the schedule is open, and any part we find on its way out can be replaced on your timetable instead of during the rush. Once the first freeze hits, every furnace in the region tries to light on the same night and the ones that fail all call at once. If you missed the fall window, a tune-up in December or January is still worth doing, and if the furnace has already failed, book a repair instead. Care Club members get priority scheduling, which matters most in exactly those weeks.
Can a tune-up catch a cracked heat exchanger?
It is one of the main reasons to have one. The heat exchanger is the metal chamber that separates the burner flame and exhaust from the air the blower pushes into your rooms. It expands and contracts every cycle, and after enough years it can crack, especially on furnaces that have been overheating from a dirty filter or restricted airflow. A crack can let combustion gases, including carbon monoxide, into the supply air. During a tune-up we inspect the exchanger visually and watch the flame behavior when the blower starts, which is where a crack often shows itself. If we find one, the furnace stays off and we talk about replacement, because on most furnaces that part is not worth replacing on its own.
How are the two Care Club tune-ups split between heating and cooling?
However makes sense for your system, but the usual pattern is one visit in spring for the air conditioner and one in fall for the furnace or heat pump. Care Club includes two HVAC tune-ups a year on the enrolled system for $9.99 a month, along with an annual whole-home plumbing safety inspection, no dispatch fees ever, 5% off repairs, priority service and 24/7 emergency service at standard rates with no after-hours trip fees. If you have a heat pump, both visits cover the same outdoor unit in its two modes. If you have two systems, ask us about enrolling each one. Details are on the Care Club page.
What furnace maintenance can I safely do myself between visits?
A few things, and they matter. Change or wash the air filter on schedule, since a clogged filter is behind a surprising number of overheated heat exchangers and tripped limit switches. Keep the area around the furnace clear, especially in a closet or garage where boxes end up against the cabinet. Make sure supply registers and returns are open and not blocked by furniture. Test your carbon monoxide detectors and replace their batteries. And before the first cold snap, switch the thermostat to heat and let it run a cycle so a problem shows up on a mild afternoon instead of a freezing night. Leave the burner compartment, gas valve and wiring to a licensed technician.
*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.
