Our homes’ HVAC or heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units are essential to well-being. HVAC systems are critical during the hot days of summer and cold nights of winter. During those seasons, HVAC units often run continuously. Over time, this strain can cause issues with how effectively your house is heated and cooled.
Therefore, it is important to ensure that your equipment continues to operate effectively. Read more for six HVAC maintenance tips that will help prevent costly repairs.
1. Inspect and Clean Outside Unit
Throughout all the seasons, the units for your HVAC system that are located outside are subjected to all sorts of weather. Leaves, branches, vegetation, grass clippings, and more quickly accumulate in and around outside HVAC units. To prevent costly repairs, it is important that you clean the area around the unit on a regular basis. Also, monitor plant growth for any bushes, trees, or flowers growing near the unit. Be sure to clip any growth back, so the HVAC system has the air circulation it needs.
2. Keep Areas Near Indoor Units Cleared
Following the same premise as in the first tip to avoid expensive repairs, your indoor HVAC unit needs to remain clutter-free. When you dust and vacuum your house, pay particular attention to your HVAC vents. Check the vents for any dust build up, and remove it. Move any toys, furniture, rugs, etc. that have slowly migrated to the vents. For your system to operate efficiently, it needs to be free from dust and clutter.
3. Change Filters
Another tip to help with the costs of HVAC systems is to change your filters. The filters in your HVAC units are continually working when the system is operating. Their job is to capture the dust, particles, and other pollutants in your home’s air. Check with your HVAC technician for the frequency in which you should replace your filters or clean reusable ones. If you have pets or family members with allergies, you may want to consider changing the filters more often.
4. Check Thermostat
Another tip to ensure that your HVAC system runs well is to utilize your thermostat. Your thermostat can be a great tool to assist you in performing preventative maintenance. Some thermostats can provide you with information about your usage. This can alert you to potential issues before they become costly. Other thermostats will send alerts to your Smartphone; these can let you know when to change filters and more. Additionally, you can adjust your HVAC system’s temperature remotely.
5. Install a Carbon Monoxide Detector
Not only is a carbon monoxide detector important for the health of you and your family, it can provide a means to prevent detect issues with your HVAC system. If your unit has a failure, your carbon monoxide detector will alert you. Problems with leaks, ventilation, or the flow of gas to and from your unit will be sensed by this alarm.
6. Schedule Annual Maintenance
Certainly, one key way to prevent costly repairs is for your HVAC technician to perform annual HVAC maintenance on your units. Your technician will inspect your unit and look for any problems. These can be fixed before they become significant issues.
As you look to renovate, maintain, and upgrade your home, it is important to know what repairs are urgent. For help prioritizing your home repair efforts, please see the resource below.
Provided by Air Mechanical – plumbing services Minneapolis
