How You Can Maintain Your HVAC Unit and Save Money
Your HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) units are absolutely essential in your life, especially as you fight against the bitter cold of winter or the sweltering heat of summer. That’s why it gets so darn frustrating when our heating or cooling quits on us! We want to at least be moderately comfortable in our homes all year long, and that is why we try to take good care of our HVAC unit year-long and you can too if you follow these tips to maintain your HVAC Unit.
But what can you do to ensure optimum performance of your heating, cooling and ventilation systems without bringing in the professionals every time they need some maintenance? Fortunately, there’s a lot that you can do in terms of at-home maintenance that will not only save you the frustration of waiting for an appointment when a fix is needed later down the line, but will also save you a nice chunk of change.
Check your air filters every month.
Dirt, dust, pet hair, smoke and other airborne elements in your home or outside can end up clogging up the filter of your unit, causing them not work as well and even break down on you. You need to know where these filters are whether they are 14x20x1 filter or 18x20x1 filter etc, how to access them, and when they need to be replaced. If you go months without looking at this essential part of your HVAC unit, it could be choking on dirt, dust and whatever else without you knowing about it-until something breaks.
Keep the space around your indoor and outdoor units clean.
Outdoor HVAC units face the added risk of being damaged over time by direct exposure to the elements. You need to get outside every now and then, perhaps once a week or so (at least) to ensure that no debris has gathered around the unit that could clog it up. This is especially true if your area has been affected by high-speed winds and storms that can cause debris and hurl it around everywhere.
Similarly, the space around your indoor units must be free and clear as well. These are especially easy spaces to keep clean, as you probably already pass them during your routine house cleaning. We recommend spending a few extra minutes of your time examining the area and making sure that all dust, pet hair and other contaminants are swept away.
Listen for any irregularities.
A lot of people get so used to the quiet hum of their HVAC units in the background that they don’t pay much mind to them unless things get loud. But the easiest way to stay on top of any potential issues with your unit is to keep an ear out. Listen for anything that doesn’t sound usual, and schedule a service appointment early on to avoid a bigger breakdown later on.
Clean the unit’s register.
The register and ducts need to be cleaned, to best ensure that dirt, dust, and debris from around your home don’t invade your systems. All this requires is a simple wipe-down as a part of your regular cleaning schedule.
