Enjoy the full potential of your Heating/Air product and extend its useful life with these helpful maintenance tips.
Although mechanical heating and cooling equipment is complex, there are some basic preventive maintenance procedures that you can perform to keep your system running at its best before you need to call out some hvac repair services to get it back on its feet, so to speak. (If your air conditioner or heat pump is more than 10 years old or your furnace is more than 12 years, call your Dealer to see how much you can reduce your utility bills with today’s more energy efficient equipment), if you don’t have a local dealer yet then visit heat pump Charlottesville as they’ll be able to help you find the right heating pump and equipment for your home.
Indoor Air Quality Equipment Maintenance
- Follow manufacturer’s instructions for changing (or cleaning) air filters in air handlers/furnaces and other home comfort equipment. Some air cleaners require only an annual filter change, while others need more frequent replacement. If you always forget to check your air filters then check out this alabama hvac filter check reminder.
- Maintaining proper humidity levels can greatly reduce airborne allergens. Make sure pans and coils of humidification/dehumidification unit are clean and free of debris.
- Regularly clean your return grills to prevent dust and debris from accumulating in ducts and clogging filters.
- Examine ducts around air handler for holes, loose tape or separated sections that might allow air infiltration.
- Make sure the air system is balanced to avoid negative air pressure from pulling pollens and allergens into home. Consider using a dedicated ventilation system to introduce filtered outside air to create positive pressure with clean air. If you are interested you can check out a site like Integrated Air Systems Ltd to give you an idea of what is best for you.
Air Handler Maintenance
- Examine ducts around air handler for holes, loose tape or separated sections that might leak air.
- Replace your air handler filter once a month to reduce airflow restrictions and wasted energy.
Air Conditioner Maintenance/Heat Pump Maintenance
- Clean dust or move objects away from the grates that supply air into each room. Do the same to the large return grate, usually in a hallway, to ensure proper air flow.
- Clear leaves and debris from the system’s outdoor condenser unit grille. If the interior unit is dirty, contact your contractor to perform a power wash that will not bend the fins of the grille.
- Examine ducts in attic or crawl space for holes, loose tape or separated sections that might leak air.
- Trim shrubbery to allow at least two feet of clearance from the unit.
- Set the thermostat mode to cooling (and heating for heat pumps) to make sure it’s working. Contact the dealer for service if you hear any unusual noises.
- Replace your air handler filter once a month to reduce airflow restrictions and wasted energy.
- Make sure condensate line is clear to allow liquid runoff.
- Set up annual checkup of your system.
Gas Furnace Maintenance
- Confirm that the furnace runs completely through a normal cycle from start-up to shut-down. Look at the thermostat reading to confirm that the system shuts off when reaching the high temperature setpoint. (If otherwise, you have a short cycling problem requiring a service call.)
- Clean dust or move objects away from the grates that supply air into each room and the large return grate, usually in a hallway, to ensure proper air flow.
- Make sure obstacles are cleared away from the furnace and the safety switch on the furnace door.
- Check the vent connections for the exhaust pipe and chimney for rust or gaps.
- Make sure your CO2 monitor is operating properly and that it has fresh batteries.
- Replace furnace filters annually.