A central cooling and heating system is a real blessing as it allows you to keep your home at a cozy and comfortable temperature all year round. However, switching from air conditioning to your furnace and vice versa can often put a strain on your unit. Therefore, it is imperative to carry out maintenance on your unit every so often to ensure it continues to run optimally. Follow these simple 5 tips to avoid future costly repairs.
Check Your Filter: Clogged air filters can cause operational problems with your HVAC system. Thus, you must check your air filters and clean them out regularly. AC filters tend to freeze if they are dirty and begin to thaw, causing waterlogging and damage. If your unit has reusable filters, pull them out and gently clean them with a soft cloth and mild soap. If they aren’t the reusable kinds, swap them out for new ones when they get dirty and clogged. Changing the filters once every 90 days is highly recommended.
Clean the Heat Pump: An outdoor HVAC unit tends to attract dirt and grime owing to weather conditions. Needless to say, a dirty unit will take longer to cool or heat your home to the desired temperature. Moreover, a clean HVAC system helps save money as it is more effective. Check for debris on the sides and top of your heat pump or AC unit. Clean out the heat pump and outdoor unit so it is clear of leaves, twigs, and pollen, and can run optimally.
Schedule a Tune-up: It is important for you to schedule an annual tune-up for your HVAC unit. The HVAC technician will troubleshoot any problems that you may be facing aside from performing a multi-point inspection wherein the coils and air filter will be checked along with refrigerant levels, the drain lines, as well as the heat exchanger.
Clean the Vents: If you own a ducted HVAC unit, vacuum the vents as often as you can to keep the dirt and dust from hindering the airflow. Remember that the vents must not be blocked by other household systems. While cleaning the vents also, ensure that the airflow isn’t too weak. If you think the airflow is way too weak, call in the professionals right away.
Control the Thermostat: If you want to save a few bucks on your heating bill and improve the longevity of your unit, simply control the thermostat. If you have turned the temperature too high and yet the house doesn’t warm up, you are certainly dealing with a faulty thermostat. It will do you good in replacing your manual thermostat with a programmable one. The newer thermostats will allow you to adjust the setting as per your family’s needs. For example, it will automatically adjust the temperature when you are snoozing and raise it up when it is dawn.
If you are looking for HVAC repair near you, call for the experts at Fox Air and Heat Inc. Call us at (214) 392-7584 and our technicians will visit and check your unit and repair or tune-up your furnace for you.