Every year there are small tasks around our homes that we need to complete to make sure that one of the biggest investments of our lives, our home, is running smoothly. We regularly take care of regular maintenance like making time for lawn care, assessing if our major appliances are working correctly and double-checking the roof for damage after a big storm. And looking after our HVAC systems should be no different since we depend on them to work efficiently and effectively all year round. But what exactly do we need to do to check up on our heater, ventilation and air conditioning systems to make sure that they are working the way that they should be? Let’s look at some easy care tips that you can do now to keep your HVAC in tip-top condition between regular professional checkups.
Does My HVAC Really Need Upkeep to Function Properly?
Just like going to the doctor or dentist for a once-over of our bodily systems, our HVAC systems need to be regularly looked at as well. Tweaking outdated system components, cleaning out the (figurative) cobwebs and making sure everything is in working order can help you and your family stay safe. When you depend on your smoke detectors or other elements of your HVAC system to alert you to a problem, checking their status regularly can keep you from finding out they don’t work at the worst possible time. In addition, regular attention to your heating and air-conditioning elements can help you avoid costly repair bills down the line.
Easy Care Tips for Your Heating and Cooling System
Put these basic AC maintenance and furnace maintenance tasks on your calendar so you can remember to complete them every year.
- Clean Air Ducts The vents and air ducts in your home can easily collect dust and debris from moving so much air through them every day. Dirty air ducts or vents can cause your air-conditioning and heating systems to work harder than they should and reduce their effectiveness, so making sure that they are clean can help avoid an expensive repair in the future. A quick view of vent covers inside of your home can give you a clue if they need to be cleaned. But the interior ducts of your home’s heating and cooling systems may need to be assessed by a professional. Schedule a trusted business like Mitchell’s Magic One-Hour Heating & Air Conditioning to come out and look at your ducts if you suspect yours needs to be cleaned professionally.
- Clean Up Around Your Equipment Regularly A simple and effective way to make sure that the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in your home are working well is to clean up around the equipment. Remove any debris, leaves or other materials that may have collected near them so that nothing interferes with how well the equipment is able to work. This easy step in caring for one of the most critical components of your home can help you avoid expensive repairs in the future from any damage that may occur to the physical units in your system.
- Fix Insulation Problems Insulation is a hard-working part of your home that helps keep the cool air inside in the summer and the rooms toasty warm during the cold months. Insulation is usually found in the attic areas of your home but it may also be found in other unfinished areas as well. Insulation that is in good shape will look consistent in all areas, without showing any gapping or holes in the product. Insulation that is effective and non-problematic will provide a visible barrier between the exterior wall or ceiling and the inside air of a home. A regular spot-check of your insulation can alert you to missing or problematic insulation areas in your home. Once identified, bring in fresh insulation to fix these gaps so the heating and cooling of air stays inside of your home and doesn’t escape through those gaps, costing you money. Insulation can be purchased in rolls or patches, or some insulation applications may be sprayed on. It is best to match the existing types of insulation for the best coverage or consider replacing old or worn-out insulation with newer varieties of insulation that may have improved coverage over older types.
- Replace Old Thermostats With Programmable Ones An excellent way to care for your heater and air conditioning is to recognize when your thermostat is due for an upgrade. At least every 10 years, your thermostat will need to be replaced, but you can schedule a thermostat installation to upgrade yours at any time. The newer versions will help save you money on your energy bills as they will help guide the heating and cooling of your home more efficiently, wasting less energy in the process. By doing the installation of a more modern thermostat, you can help extend the life of your heater, ventilation, and AC system as well, saving you money in the long run. You may need less furnace maintenance or AC maintenance when the systems are run efficiently by the newer thermostats instead of by those adjusted manually. Since the sensors in new thermostats can help to keep your home at the optimal pre-set temperatures, can be programmed to turn off and on when you will need them to and even can be a “smart” thermostat that senses when to change your home’s temperature, taking care of your heating and cooling systems will be not only easier than ever but you will enjoy direct and indirect savings from this upgrade as well.
- Upgrade to Energy-Efficient Heating and Cooling Systems A regular inspection of your systems, or just simply knowing how old your HVAC systems are, can let you know when it is time to upgrade. When it’s time to replace, consider swapping your older equipment for a new, Energy Star-certified one. By installing a system that the Environmental Protection Agency has verified as meeting stringent energy efficiency standards, you will reduce your energy usage and as a result, your expenses on electricity and other related energy costs. This care tip is one that all homeowners should consider when their heating and cooling systems are ready for replacement and installation of new equipment can easily be made for most homeowners by a qualified specialist like Mitchell’s Magic One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning.
Seasonal Ways to Keep Your Home’s Systems in Top Shape
Along with monthly ways to check on your home’s heater, ventilation and air conditioning system, you can complete these easy care tips once or more a season to make sure that the equipment in your house is working the way that it should be.
- Replace Filters At least four times a year, plan to replace the filters in your home. When filters are clogged with dirt, pet hair and other contaminants, they cannot work properly and your heating and cooling system has to work harder to provide you with conditioned air. For many people, replacing filters every three months is a good plan. But if you have pets or suffer from seasonal allergies, you should consider replacing filters more often or even monthly during the times that allergens are most prevalent. Regularly replacing filters will not only reduce the wear and tear on your home’s system, but it can also alert you to problems or potential concerns that you might not have noticed otherwise.
- Schedule a System Check-Up A good rule of thumb is to plan for a professional to take a look at your HVAC system at least twice per year. By planning for a check-up before the cold season sets in and the heater fires up, a scheduled furnace maintenance check will help you ensure that your home will be warm and cozy all winter long. Prior to summer’s warmth heating up your home and requiring the AC to kick in every day, calling a professional for an AC maintenance check is an excellent way to find and repair small concerns before they become big problems that come with big price tags. Putting these seasonal check-ups on your calendar is the perfect way to make sure your equipment is running smoothly, and the upcoming season will be unlikely to bring any surprise repair bills along with the change in weather.
- Verify Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detectors Another easy care tip that will help you maintain every aspect of your home’s systems is to make sure that all of your carbon monoxide detectors as well as all of your smoke detectors are in good working order. Replacing any that are not working properly immediately is the best way to make sure your home is protected by these small but critical components. In addition, the carbon monoxide detector plays a dual role: it not only protects you from harmful gasses but it also can let you know when your HVAC is malfunctioning since the harmful gas could be coming from equipment that is not working correctly.
Working Together with the Professionals
By paying attention to the way your heating, ventilation and air conditioning system is working regularly, you can be a partner with the professionals who help you maintain and repair this very important aspect of your home. Regularly cleaning the ducts and around equipment and replacing filters are easy ways to improve the efficiency of HVACs in the home. Fixing any visible issues with insulation can help reduce the amount of conditioned air that escapes your home and can extend the life of your heating and cooling systems. Replacing old thermostats with energy-efficient ones that keep your home at a consistent temperature can minimize the stress and strain on a system while upgrading to an Energy Star-rated system can also save you money over time as well. And swapping out dirty filters seasonally can provide you with an opportunity to see if ducts are due for a cleaning or if it’s time to call in the professionals to perform maintenance or repair work. And partnering with a trusted heating and AC professional year-round to provide bi-annual checkups can give you the peace of mind that one of the bigger investments in your home is running the way that it should be so you and your family will be comfortable all year long, whether it is blustery cold or hot and steamy outside.
