Most homeowners do not spend a lot of time thinking about their heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Many people do not think about it at all unless it breaks down, which almost always happens at the worse time. The problem with that is that it can be very costly. If you do not think about your HVAC system until it breaks down, you will have some expensive heating and air conditioning repair bills to pay. Proper maintenance of your HVAC system now is the best way to prevent spending a lot on HVAC repair or replacement later on.
Tips to Keep Your Heating and Air Conditioning Unit Healthy and Happy:
- Look over your heating and air conditioning filters about once each month: You can see how much dirt is circulating through your home and find any problems before they become too large to deal with if you look over your filters once a month. Replace your HVAC air filters often. Most HVAC companies recommend replacing your HVAC air filters at least once every three months. This may be vary, depending on your heating and air conditioning system and lifestyle. If you have a lot of pets who shed a lot, you may want to do this more often. The same can be said if you live in a very dusty or sandy place. People with health issues such as allergies or asthma might want to change the filters more often than those without such problems.
- Check your coils and vents on a regular basis: Your evaporator coils can become a breeding ground for dangerous mold. If you have mold, you need to use a mixture of bleach and water to clean your coils. Try to keep them as dry as you can by wiping them down every so often. When you do your monthly check of the air filters, check the coils as well. It does not take much time at all for mold to grow and start to cause health problems for you and your family. There are thousands of kinds of mold that have been identified as dangerous by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This shouldn’t scare you. It is easy to prevent, but you should know about that threat. If you see any standing water near the intake vents, make sure you wipe up and call in HVAC contractors to take a look at your system.
- Inspect the heating and air conditioning fans often: When dirt and dust accumulate on your fans, it decreases the efficiency of the HVAC system as a whole. You can prevent this by cleaning them regularly. Just make sure you turn off the system before cleaning it and use a damp cloth. You do not need anything harsher than that to get rid of the dust on your fans.
- Have professionals check your system: Have your system checked once every two years by a certified heating and air conditioning service. They can check your system more thoroughly than you can. Many companies offer maintenance plans that are cost effective.
- Have a repair company to call before your system breaks down: The time to find a decent HVAC repair company is not on Christmas Eve when the heating goes out. There are more than 85,000 companies to choose from nationwide, so you shouldn’t have a problem finding one. Ask around and have someone you can call when you have a problem.
No one likes thinking about the heating and air conditioning systems. It is unlikely that you make plans with your friends to perform maintenance on each other’s HVAC systems. It is an important part of owning a home, however. If you wait until you have a problem, it will cost you a lot more.
If you are diligent about maintaining your heating and air conditioning system, it should last you at least 12 to 15 years. It costs a lot less to maintain it then to have to pay for an AC replacement or furnace replacement.