Virginia Electrical and HVAC Contractor License 2705181607
Heating Tune-up in Northern Virginia
A no heat night is rarely bad luck. It is usually a small fault that went unchecked all summer. We inspect, clean and dial in your furnace or heat pump across Fairfax, Loudoun, Arlington, and Prince William Counties.
Complete tune-up$169
Which Argument Are You Actually Being Sold?
Almost every heating tune-up page, including the last version of this one, sells one service to two completely different kinds of system and leans on the safety argument for both. That argument is genuinely strong for one of them and does not apply to the other at all. Find your system before you read any further.
Air to your roomsThe metal wallCombustion gases
Gas, oil or propane furnace
The safety argument is real, and it is yours
Something is burning inside the appliance
- The heat exchanger is the wall between the flame and the air you breathe
- A crack in it puts combustion products, carbon monoxide included, into that air
- It is the one item on the whole checklist you cannot inspect yourself
- CPSC's winter guidance is to have fuel burning heating systems professionally inspected every year
- The flue, the burners and the gas train are checked in the same visit
Heat pump, all electric
None of that applies to you
Nothing is burning, so there is nothing to leak
- No combustion, no heat exchanger in that sense, no flue
- No carbon monoxide from your heating, at all
- So the safety case for an annual visit is simply not yours
- What is left is reliability: a weak capacitor or contactor caught in October rather than January
- And efficiency: defrost, changeover and strip heat settings behaving as they should, which is what decides your winter bill
The heat exchanger, and why it is the whole point. On anything that burns fuel, the heat exchanger is the metal wall keeping the combustion gases apart from the air being blown around your house. When it cracks, those gases have a route into that air, and carbon monoxide is among them. It is the single most important item on the inspection list and it is the one item on it that a homeowner has no way of checking. That is what an annual professional inspection is for, and it is why CPSC's winter guidance is to have fuel burning heating systems inspected every year.
And if you have a heat pump. Nothing burns, so there is nothing to leak and no heat exchanger in that sense at all. We are not going to sell you a carbon monoxide scare that does not apply to your house. Book for the reasons in the green column, which are real, or do not book. Either way you should know which conversation you are having.
What Your $169 Buys You
No mid winter breakdowns
Weak igniters, dirty flame sensors and tired motors caught before they quit on the coldest night of the year.
A system that is not working harder than it needs to
A dirty, unadjusted system runs longer for the same heat, and that shows up every month rather than once.
More years out of the equipment
Tight connections, clean burners and correct settings mean less wear. This is the least visible benefit and probably the largest.
The safety checks, where they apply
Carbon monoxide, gas leaks and blocked flues on fuel burning systems. See the section above on whether that is you.
A Genuinely Thorough Tune-up, Not a Quick Look
Twenty four checks across six areas, inspected, cleaned, tested and documented. Heat pump specifics apply where they apply, and the combustion items do not exist on an all electric system.
Safety checks
- Carbon monoxide checked at the unit and in the supply air
- Gas leak inspection at valves, manifold and fittings
- Venting and flue checked for rust, blockage and backdraft
- Safety switch and limit control tests
Mechanical components
- Blower wheel, housing and motor inspected and cleaned
- Heat exchanger checked for cracks or corrosion
- Burners inspected, cleaned and adjusted
- Ignition system tested
Electrical system
- Voltage and amperage measured on motors and heaters
- Electrical connections checked and tightened
- Capacitors and contactors tested against their ratings
- Controls and safeties verified
Airflow and filtration
- Filter condition checked and reported
- Static pressure and airflow assessed
- Return and supply inspected for restriction
- Condensate drain checked where fitted
Heat pump specifics
- Defrost cycle operation verified
- Changeover and balance point settings reviewed
- Auxiliary and emergency heat operation checked
- Refrigerant performance assessed
Performance and reporting
- Temperature rise or split measured against specification
- Findings written up rather than described at the door
- Anything urgent flagged, with the reason
- Readings left with you for next year to compare against
Why Have Us Do It
Both trades on one visit
Under Virginia contractor license 2705181607. A great many heating faults are electrical, and we are licensed to fix those rather than refer them.
You get it in writing
The readings, the findings and anything urgent, documented. A tune-up you cannot check afterwards was not a tune-up.
Measured, not eyeballed
Amp draw, temperature rise and capacitor values against their ratings. Those numbers are what separate a real visit from a sticker on the unit.
Booked before the rush
When the first cold snap arrives the schedule fills within days. October is a different experience from January.
Financing is available on request, and the veteran discount program applies.
Lock In Your $169 Tune-up Before the Rush
Tell us what you heat with and we will find you a slot. Or call 703.225.8222.
Verified Reviews
What Your Neighbors Are Saying
Heating Tune-up Questions, Answered
What does the $169 heating tune-up include?
A full inspection, clean and adjustment across six areas: safety, mechanical, electrical, airflow, heat pump specifics where they apply, and a written report with the readings. The full checklist is on this page so you can see exactly what you are buying before you book.
Do I need a tune-up if I have a heat pump rather than a furnace?
The safety half of the argument does not apply to you, and we would rather say so. A heat pump does not burn anything, so there is no heat exchanger to crack, no flue to block and no carbon monoxide risk from your heating. What a tune-up still does is catch a failing capacitor or contactor before January and make sure the defrost, changeover and backup heat settings are right, which is what decides your winter electricity bill. That is a real reason, just a different one.
How often should a heating system be tuned up?
Once a year, before the heating season. For a fuel burning system that interval is not just about efficiency: the Consumer Product Safety Commission's winter guidance is to have all fuel burning heating systems professionally inspected annually.
What is a heat exchanger and why does it matter so much?
On a gas, oil or propane appliance it is the metal wall that keeps the combustion gases separate from the air being blown around your house. If it cracks, those gases can get into that air. It is the single most important thing on the inspection list and it is the one item a homeowner has no way of checking themselves.
When is the best time to book?
Early autumn. When the first genuinely cold night arrives our schedule fills within days, and a tune-up booked in October is a calm appointment rather than a scramble.
Will you try to sell me a new system?
No. If the system is old and struggling we will tell you plainly, with the reasons, and you can decide in your own time. A tune-up that ends in a sales pitch every year is not a tune-up.
What if you find something wrong?
You get told what it is, what it costs to put right, and how urgent it actually is, including when the honest answer is that it can wait. Nothing gets done beyond the tune-up without you agreeing to it first.
Related Services
Before the first cold snap
One Tune-up Now Beats One Cold Night Later.
Heating tune-ups at $169 across Fairfax, Loudoun, Arlington, and Prince William Counties, measured, documented, and sold with a straight account of which benefits apply to your system.
Call 703.225.8222Book My Tune-upLicensed in Virginia. Electrical and HVAC Contractor License 2705181607.