Back in the day when homes were heated with coal and wood, spring cleaning meant it was time to air out the house and shake out the rugs. Here in the northwest we often see signs of spring before we really feel it. But nonetheless, the end of those short, cold, and dark days mean more time and energy to clean up and clear out. Almost every culture in the world has some sort of spring cleaning ritual all having to do with the fact that we've been closed up all winter. Since the days of heat by coal or wood are gone, we still do the spring cleaning almost instinctively, but more to rid ourselves of the colds and sicknesses associated with winter, than to shake the soot out of our curtains. However, even with the newer cleaner burning, efficient heat systems of today, a once per year spring cleaning (tune-up) is important.Many people think if they had any sort of furnace failure which required a service person to come fix it, they should be good to go for a while and don't need a tune-up. But just as with your car, fixing a flat tire is not the same thing as changing your oil and replacing your spark plugs. Furnace tune-ups are done separately, and when done on a yearly basis, they can prevent other breakdowns that can leave you without heat in the dead of winter.So, why is spring the best time to do a furnace tune-up? Because your furnace worked super hard all fall and winter, and therefore, spring and summer are the best seasons for maintenance. In addition to that, our service technicians schedule is the most available for tune-ups when they are not busy fixing broken down furnaces. In winter, we save most of our daily service work for furnaces that need immediate attention, so scheduling a well furnace tune-up can get pushed out months. In the spring and summer, we can usually schedule a tune-up within a week. Just like scheduling an appointment with the doctor, if you want a well body check up, the first available appointment can be months out, but if you are sick, you can usually get in within a day or two.We often offer a spring tune-up special so stay tuned. If you're looking for the best bang for your buck, check out our four oil and gas service agreements. For three reasons why yearly service tune-ups are important, click here.Happy spring cleaning!