While the HVAC system may not need to be drained before it gets cold outside, it still needs yearly tune ups. The HVAC system is the hardest working system in your home. It is constantly heating or cooling your home on a daily basis. That is a lot of wear and tear on such an expensive system.
Regular HVAC maintenance will keep your system in tip-top shape and minimize wear-and-tear damage. Us HVAC Pros recommend getting your HVAC system inspected twice a year. Once in the spring for the A/C coils and once in the fall for inspecting the furnace. Doing this before the start of summer and winter will help ensure that your system is running at its best before it’s heavily used.
The inspections are usually quick, but will give a good overview of how your system is operating. Pros will be able to offer fixes and yearly maintenance items that will need to be replaced to keep the system running efficiently. Consider this work to be a valuable investment in your home’s future. Sooner or later problems will develop in the HVAC system. With regular maintenance, you both minimize the wear and tear and catch minor issues before they become costly repairs.
Regular inspections benefit you in more ways than simply preventing costly repairs. They’ll also lower your energy bill, by reducing how hard the system has to work to create cool or hot air. Plus keeping your HVAC system in good health also keeps your air quality in good shape.
Here are some of the things you can expect the Pros at Rex’s Plumbing & Heating will look at:
- Inspect the Blower, motor, drain lines and coils
- Check operating pressures and temperatures
- Verify refrigerant pressures and levels
- Check Ducts for potential air leaks
- Test electrical components
THINGS YOU CAN DO TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR HVAC SYSTEM
Pros should handle most of the HVAC maintenance and cleaning. However, you can improve efficiency in between inspections with these three simple DIY steps:
Change the filters
Some filters may last months, others may need to be changed monthly. It all depends on the style of the filter and how much air flows through the filter. For the furnace filter better filters are worth the money. They usually will need to be changed less often and will be able to filter out smaller particles that are in the air. Your humidifier also has a filter in it that transfers water into the air during the winter. Most do not know about this filter and we have seen many that will have mold growing in them and that mold will be blown into the furnace come the next winter season.
Clean your outdoor unit
Make sure that the outside condenser has a couple feet cleared around it from debris and plant life. When the unit is blocked this will decrease the efficiency in which the unit can transfer heat through the coil and can run the system longer. Also be sure to inspect the coil for debris that may have been sucked into the fine fins of the coil. If you see these fins are blocked you need to call a pro to come clean them out.
Keep an eye on your system
Every so often make sure to take a look at your HVAC system. A quick look and listen can save you hundreds. You may see water running from the bottom of your furnace or heat a bearing on a motor begin to squeal. These are all signs of an issue that can snowball into something larger and more costly to fix if you wait.
Check out the specials tab on our website for a coupon to help you save on your next inspection.