Your HVAC system must be regularly serviced by an experienced technician, and those appointments are going to be vital to the system’s efficiency and overall lifespan. That being said, there are some maintenance tasks that you can carry out between visits to keep your energy bills at a reasonable level and reduce your risk of a catastrophic breakdown. With a little bit of preventative maintenance and biannual service calls, you will be able to enjoy comfortable indoor temperatures throughout the year.
Replace the Air Filters
Very few maintenance tasks are as important as changing your air filters, and that simple project should be carried out at least once every 30 to 90 days. In addition to improving the efficiency of your HVAC system, changing the air filters is also going to improve your home’s indoor air quality. During the spring, the pollen from the cedar trees contributes to a lot of allergies. Your filters should remove most of those contaminants from the air.
Clear Around the Outdoor Condenser
If you have a central heating and cooling system, then there is most likely a large condenser on the outside of your home. As a general rule, there shouldn’t be any debris within a few feet of that condenser. That includes yard tools, outdoor toys, branches, hoses, and anything else that might block airflow or get pulled into the fan. When the condenser is on, the nearby debris could cause extensive damage that requires immediate repairs.
Inspect the Ducts
Even though our HVAC technicians should check all of the air ducts during their routine service calls, you might want to occasionally inspect them as well. Whenever a duct is knocked around or exposed to moisture, air leaks might occur. If you are comfortable doing so, then you should take a look at any ducts in your attic that are easy to access from a safe location.
Check All of the Vents
Over the course of a few months, a few of the vents throughout your home might get closed or have belongings placed in front of them. Unfortunately, that can put an incredible amount of strain on the HVAC system by creating too much pressure in the ducts. That is one of the reasons why you should occasionally check all of the vents to ensure that they are open and there is no debris within a few feet.
Scheduling Your Biannual Service Calls
Carrying out some maintenance on your own can have a big impact on the lifespan and efficiency of your HVAC system, but you must schedule professional service calls as well. One of the technicians here at Action Air & Plumbing can carefully go over every single component in your heating and cooling system to ensure that it is running efficiently and completely damage-free.
