The short answer
No service stickers on the furnace, no records in the closing folder, and a filter that looks older than your mortgage? You’re in good company in Northern Virginia. Change the filter today. Then book a $67 heating check (through December 31) so a tech can tell you what you bought before the cold sets in, and find out how old the water heater is. Book either from goswiftpro.com/cookiesoffer and free MOLTN cookies come with the visit.
How to tell it was never serviced
- No dated stickers or tags on the furnace or the outdoor unit.
- A filter that’s gray and bowed, or a filter slot with no filter in it at all.
- Rust or a water stain under the furnace, or a drain line that’s dry and cracked.
- The outdoor unit packed with leaves and grass clippings.
- A water heater with sediment you can hear popping when it heats.
Free Furnace With a New AC
Put in a new AC with its matching coil and a basic single-stage gas furnace goes in with it, installed together. See the free furnace
Want your own number before anyone comes out? The HVAC estimator prices your house in a few questions.
What to do, in order
| Step | Cost | Why first |
|---|---|---|
| Change the filter and date it | A few dollars | Fixes the most common cause of dust and short cycling |
| Heating check | $67 per system | Tells you whether the furnace is safe and ready for winter |
| Find the water heater’s age | Free | Our age lookup reads the serial number |
| Water heater flush | $99, normally $199 | Clears the sediment and checks the anode and relief valve |
| Dryer vent cleaning | $199, normally $298 | Nobody ever cleans these before a sale |
The furnace
Years without service usually means a dirty burner, a dusty blower wheel and a filter that’s been choking the system. The heating check finds that. On a furnace, for $229 (regularly $467) we also pull the blower wheel and clean it blade by blade. After that, a yearly $99 tune-up keeps it there (what a furnace tune-up costs). If the tech finds something big, you get it in writing, and our second opinion is free if someone else already quoted you a new system.
The water heater
A tank that was never flushed collects sediment on the bottom, which is the popping sound and the reason old tanks fail. Find the age first with the water heater age lookup. Under ten years, a $99 flush is worth it. Past twelve, plan for a replacement and don’t put money into it.
The ducts and the dryer vent
If the house is dusty, see our post on a dusty house after moving in. The dryer vent is the one almost nobody thinks about: years of lint from someone else’s laundry. The dryer vent cleaning is $199, normally $298, with a year of Comfort+ included.
Book any of these from goswiftpro.com/cookiesoffer and free MOLTN cookies come to your door after the visit. Watch the video. Your choices:
| Visit | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Drain clearing | $99 | A slow sink cleared up to the P-trap |
| Heating check | $67 per system | Furnace, heat pump or boiler checked before winter, through December 31 |
| Dryer vent cleaning | $199 | Normally $298, with a year of Comfort+ included |
| Water heater flush | $99 | Normally $199, anode and relief valve checked |
The rest of the first-month list is in our new homeowner checklist.
Book it
Duct cleaning with cookies: goswiftpro.com/followus. The drain clearing, heating check, dryer vent or flush with cookies: goswiftpro.com/cookiesoffer. Or call (703) 997-9757. Rated 5.0 stars across 1,138 reviews on Google, Angi, Yelp, the BBB and Facebook, Virginia Class A license 2705192276.
Questions people ask
What should I do if the previous owner never serviced the HVAC?
Change the filter first, then book a heating check before winter. SwiftPro’s is $67 per system through December 31.
How do I know if my furnace was ever serviced?
Look for dated service stickers on the furnace and outdoor unit. No stickers and a gray, bowed filter usually means it hasn’t been in a while.
Is it too late to service a furnace that’s been neglected for years?
Usually not. A cleaning and tune-up brings most of them back. If something’s failing, the tech tells you in writing.
Should I flush a water heater that’s never been flushed?
If it’s under ten years old, yes. Past twelve, plan for a replacement instead. A flush is $99, normally $199.
Book the drain clearing, heating check, dryer vent cleaning or water heater flush from goswiftpro.com/cookiesoffer and free MOLTN cookies come with the visit.
