Furnace & Heating Tune-Up and Inspection in Northern Virginia & Maryland

What Our Furnace Tune-Up Includes

The checklist for gas and electric furnaces:

Cleaning & calibration

• Clean and inspect burners for proper flame
• Clean the ignition system (hot surface ignitor or pilot assembly)
• Clean or replace the air filter
• Clean the blower wheel and check the blower motor
• Calibrate the thermostat and verify accurate temperature readings

Mechanical & electrical checks

• Test and tighten all electrical connections
• Inspect capacitors, relays, and controls
• Check gas pressure and verify proper fuel flow (gas furnaces)
• Inspect the flue for blockages and proper venting
• Measure temperature rise across the heat exchanger
• Check condensate drain and trap (high-efficiency units)
• Lubricate moving parts where applicable

Safety inspection

• Carbon monoxide test at the supply air
• Full heat exchanger inspection for cracks or corrosion
• Verify all safety switches and limit controls

When the visit is done, you get a plain-English summary of what was found: what’s healthy, what to watch, and what (if anything) needs attention, with a written price before any repair work starts.

Furnace Safety Inspection

Every AVS furnace tune-up includes a furnace safety inspection, because a furnace’s most important job isn’t comfort, it’s keeping your family safe.

Carbon monoxide check. CO is tested at the supply air and around the furnace. Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless, and a cracked heat exchanger or blocked flue can push it into your living space. This single test is reason enough to never skip an annual furnace inspection.

Heat exchanger inspection. The heat exchanger is the component that separates combustion gases from the air you breathe. It is inspected for cracks, corrosion and stress, which can let CO leak in older furnaces. Read signs your furnace heat exchanger may be cracked.

A critical safety note: if you ever smell gas (rotten-egg odor) in your home, leave the house immediately and call 911 or your gas company from outside. Do not flip switches or touch the gas valve. Get out first.

Old or new, a furnace that burns gas deserves a safety check every year.

When to Schedule Your Tune-Up

Fall — before the first cold night. The ideal window is September through October, before furnaces across Northern Virginia and Maryland fire up for the season. That’s when you’ll catch worn ignitors, dirty burners, and cracked belts before they leave you without heat on a 30-degree night.

Why not wait until winter? Three reasons: (1) fall appointments are easier to schedule — January is emergency-call season; (2) some manufacturer warranties require proof of regular maintenance; (3) a tune-up now means peak efficiency when you need heat most.

Heating season signs you waited too long: rooms that won’t warm up evenly, the furnace running constantly, a new rattling or banging on startup, or a gas bill that climbs without a colder winter to blame. If any of these sound familiar, the problem may already need furnace repair: $90 site visit, written price before work.

Heat Pump Tune-Up?

Own a heat pump instead of a furnace? The equipment is different, but the principle is the same: annual professional maintenance catches problems early. Heat pump tune-ups cover coil cleaning, refrigerant checks, reversing-valve and defrost-cycle testing, and electrical inspections — a different checklist from furnace maintenance. See heat pump maintenance for the full checklist.

VIP Maintenance Plan

One tune-up a year is good. Never having to think about it is better. Our VIP Maintenance Plan covers both your heating and cooling systems with:

• Two inspections per year: furnace in the fall, AC in the spring
• Priority service: you jump the queue during peak season
• Repair discounts: members save on any repairs we find

Members get a written maintenance report after each visit. See the VIP Maintenance Plan.

Tune-Up Cost

Published prices: HVAC maintenance checkup $79.95 (about 45 minutes) and a $69 heating & air safety inspection offer. For the VIP plan price, call for current pricing. Compare with our guide on how much an HVAC tune-up costs.

A few things that are fixed, regardless of price:

• The price is written before work starts. Always. If we find a repair during your tune-up, you’ll see the exact cost and approve it first.
• No overtime fees. Evenings, weekends and holidays cost the same.
• It can prevent bigger bills. A failing ignitor or a CO issue caught at a tune-up costs less than an emergency repair.

Family-owned since 1991 · licensed VA HVAC 2705039269A, MD HVAC 520714137895 · 4.8★ from 354 Google reviews (Fairfax 157, Bethesda 116, Falls Church 81).

Why Homeowners Choose AVS for Heating Tune-Up

• Family-owned since 1991: More than 30 years of HVAC service in Northern Virginia and Maryland.
• Seen on ABC7 News: Anil Sareen of AVS Heating and Air Conditioning was interviewed on ABC7 News.
• Licensed in Virginia and Maryland: Virginia HVAC 2705039269A · Maryland HVAC 520714137895 · Maryland Home Improvement 4192876.
• Three local offices: Fairfax, VA · Falls Church, VA · Bethesda, MD.
• 4.8★ on Google: 354 reviews across our three offices.
• All brands serviced: Carrier · Trane · Lennox · Bryant · Goodman · Rheem · York · American Standard · Amana · Mitsubishi.

Commercial Heating Tune-Up

AVS also runs preventive maintenance on heating systems for shops, offices and other commercial buildings across Northern Virginia and Maryland. See commercial HVAC installation, repair and replacement.