Spring is the best time to show your home some love. Many homeowners spend their spring weekends deep cleaning their homes. While getting rid of the dust and dirt that has accumulated in different areas of the home during the winter and cleaning surfaces will increase your home’s aesthetic appeal, it won’t do much for air quality, which is why HVAC maintenance should top your priority list. Spring HVAC maintenance will prepare your HVAC for the tougher summer months to follow. Here are some spring maintenance tips to prepare your HVAC to beat the heat.
Change the Filter
Your HVAC air filter is one of its most important parts. Your HVAC filter works by cleaning the air circulated by the system. It traps harmful contaminants that can negatively impact your health and comfort. HVAC filters accumulate dust over time. HVACs with unclean filters have to put in more effort. This does not just impact their performance, but can also result in high cooling costs.
Trust us when we say that an impure filter is the last thing you want. To get the most out of your HVAC system, replace its filter once every month. This simple step will improve your indoor air quality by leaps and bounds. Additionally, a clean filter can help you reduce your energy costs by 15 percent.
Consider replacing your standard filter with a high-efficiency pleated filter that produces an electrostatic charge to attract and trap debris and dirt particles.
Clean the Drainage Hole
An air conditioner’s drainage hole drains away water that is formed as it cools the air. If your AC’s drainage hole gets clogged, its performance will take a beating. A clogged drainage hole is bad news for both your AC and wallet. To prevent this from happening, clean your AC’s drainage hole. If the hole is too small for you to clean it manually, use a paperclip or a small wire. Make sure the hole is kept clear at all times.
Keep the Area Around the Exterior Unit Clean
When it comes to getting the most out of an air conditioner, the importance of keeping the outdoor unit clean cannot be emphasized enough. Remove obstructions around your exterior unit. Regularly inspect the outdoor unit, get rid of loose vegetation, and take steps to prevent it from growing within two feet of the unit. Remove debris, trash, and branches on and around the unit.
Avoid planting plants close to the outdoor unit as vegetation around the unit can restrict the airflow. The clear zone will allow your AC to pull in the air it requires to efficiently cool your home.
Use a fin comb to straighten bent fins, if any. Hose down the fins to get rid of accumulated dirt and/or debris. Use your vacuum to gently clean the fins. Check for signs of damage.
Ensure Your Ducts are Properly Sealed
Did you know that in an average home, around 25 percent of the cooled air escapes through cracks and gaps in the HVAC system’s ductwork? To prevent this from happening, periodically check your HVAC system’s ductwork and make sure leaky holes and joints are properly sealed. Hire an HVAC company in Vacaville to seal and insulate ducts.
An HVAC system with unclean ductwork circulates impure air laden with contaminants and allergens. Spring is also the best time of the year to schedule a professional duct cleaning. Duct cleaning can help prevent health problems and must be considered a necessity, especially if anyone in your home has an allergy.
Install a Programmable Thermostat
If you are still using a manual, non-programmable thermostat, now is the right time to switch to a programmable one. There are more benefits of a programmable thermostat than you could imagine. A programmable thermostat can help you lower your energy bills by automatically adjusting the temperature of your home.
Additionally, smart thermostats can be controlled remotely. Some systems have a feature that allows you to lock the settings to prevent an unexpected guest from excessively lowering or raising the temperature. Advanced thermostats have sensors that remind you to check your HVAC filter.
Test Your HVAC’s Cooling Function
What good is an AC that cannot cool efficiently? To avoid nasty surprises when the temperature increases in the latter part of the season, check your HVAC’s cooling function.
To test the cooling function of your HVAC, first set your thermostat to a few degrees lower than the indoor temperature. Wait for your HVAC system to turn on. Once it starts working, check whether cool air is coming out of the vents. If you notice something unusual such as weird noises or the system is not cooling your home evenly, schedule a checkup with your trusted AC company in Vacaville.
Schedule Seasonal HVAC Maintenance
The importance of getting your HVAC inspected by an expert cannot be emphasized enough. Just because your HVAC is working, does not mean you do not have anything to worry about.
No matter how hard you try, certain HVAC problems can go undetected for weeks or even months.
To prevent HVAC problems, ask your HVAC expert to conduct a thorough inspection of your system. An HVAC expert will run several tests and take a detailed look at your system. During a maintenance session, your HVAC contractor will perform different tasks such as checking all connectors and the refrigerant pressure and taking readings of electrical amp draw.
Your contractor will thoroughly clean different parts of the system and look for and address current and potential issues. Here are some benefits that a full AC servicing offers:
- Reduced environmental impact
- Improved efficiency
- Savings
Has your HVAC system been acting weird lately? Talk to the experts at Right Now Air & Solar before things get out of hand. We are a team of seasoned HVAC experts. Our experience has taught us that the only thing predictable about HVAC problems is that they are unpredictable. To ensure homeowners get repair services when they need them, we work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. To schedule HVAC maintenance, call us at (833) 226-9086.