5 Things to Know to Keep Your Home’s Comfort System Running Efficiently
No one likes costly repairs, so it’s important we take care of our homes the best we can so that we avoid them. This not only applies to the things around your home you can see, but to the systems we can’t see that keep us warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
HVAC is a term you may hear, but not fully understand. It stands for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning. Your home’s furnace may seem quite separate from your air conditioner, but they work together in many ways. Taking care of one is often taking care of both. So HVAC is often used because both the heating and the air conditioning (along with the ventilation) are all affected as a unit in many ways.
Here are some simple HVAC maintenance tips to help you avoid costly repairs.
- Remember to replace your filters: Replacing your air filters is one of the easiest ways to keep your HVAC system clean and running efficiently year round. This is incredibly important – there’s a reason why it’s our #1 tip. Even if the filter doesn’t look dirty, you should still replace it every three months. Keeping the filter clean means that your HVAC system won’t run as hard and won’t put such a strain on the system. Dirty air filters can cause a whole host of problems. It’s one of the simplest (and cheapest) ways to avoid a disaster happening to either your furnace or air conditioner.
- Keep your outdoor unit free of debris: After the snow has melted and it starts getting warmer, make sure you go outside and check to make sure there isn’t any debris around your outdoor AC unit. This should be part of regular AC maintenance you perform seasonally. If you find debris such as sticks, small twigs, leaves, or other materials that animals left behind throughout the cold months, clear it away and dispose of it. You should also check your unit throughout the summer to make sure that nothing is blocking it, this will help it run more efficiently.
- Clean indoor vents: Each month check all your indoor vents and give them a cleaning. This can mean just removing the top of the vent and wiping away dust or anything that might block air flow through the system. This will ensure your system won’t work harder than it needs to.
- Give your system a break: When possible, try turning off your system and let natural air flow and fans do the job. This is an easy way for you to let your system rest, and it can also help your system not work as hard when fans are helping do part of the job of cooling your home. Try opening your windows and letting the air from outside do most of the work.
Call a professional: If you’re not sure about whether your system is running its best, or need help giving it a proper tune-up, give the professionals a call! While a lot of maintenance work can be done by homeowners, trained technicians in heating and air technology can spot things that you may miss. Catching and fixing small issues or minor damage may mean you will avoid an eventually large and costly repair or replacement.
Call a professional: If you’re not sure about whether your system is running its best, or need help giving it a proper tune-up, give the professionals a call! While a lot of maintenance work can be done by homeowners, trained technicians in heating and air technology can spot things that you may miss. Catching and fixing small issues or minor damage may mean you will avoid an eventually large and costly repair or replacement.
If you need more HVAC maintenance tips or help with with your heating and air system and don’t know where to turn, let the professionals at John Wayne Heating & Air take care of it. Give us a call today at 417-831-9500 in Springfield or at 417-466-2515 in Mt Vernon to set up an appointment. You can even request a free estimate for service online!
References
https://www.searshomeservices.com/blog/6-hvac-maintenance-tips
https://www.hvac.com/blog/guide-hvac-cleaning-maintenance/
