You can’t even imagine not thinking about your HVAC unit in times of extreme temperatures, right? In some regions, temperature ranges over 100 degrees in the summertime. When your air conditioning unit works well, you can simultaneously feel the cool air and enjoy those spicy summer days. However, if your unit is not functioning, there’s no escape from the oppressive heat, irrespective of the number of fans you plug in.

Regarding your HVAC unit, you must consider investing in its maintenance before temperatures start to tick upward. Investing in yearly maintenance is quite cheaper than paying for repairs for your unit.

Importance of Scheduling Yearly HVAC Service

While your machine is doing fine, you won’t think about yearly maintenance. However, when you opt for a yearly inspection with a service expert, you get the opportunity to prevent problems even before they arise. This increases the efficiency of your machine, which likely results in lowered energy costs. It also reduces your environmental impact as an added bonus since your machine need not work as hard to complete its job.

6 Tasks Homeowners Can Do that will Increase the Efficiency of HVAC Systems

1. The first thing homeowners should do is, locate and replace air filters. The frequency of replacing air filters depends on what goes on inside and outside their home. You should consider changing your air filters more often in the following cases.

• If you are using cheaper air filters, they can be simply less effective
• If your system is running more, the filter’s life runs out quickly
• If there are more people around, more traffic is transporting dust and dirt
• If you have pets in your home, the frequency of new filters increases
• Change filters every 20 days if anyone’s smoking inside the home
• If you are living in an area with poor air quality
• If your neighborhood is an active construction zone
• If there’s some construction/remodeling going on inside your home
• If you have an old home
• If your HVAC system is older
• If you’re living near dirt or gravel roads
• If there’s any person with asthma

2. The second thing homeowners should do is clear those airways. They should vacuum the dust particles congregating in air returns and heat registers.
3. The third step for homeowners is to clean the outside condenser. Washing the condenser with a water hose is one of the best ways to improve your HVAC system’s efficiency. The other reasons for restricted airflow and decreased performance can be mowing, leaf blowing, and even the weather.
4. The fourth step involves a trip to the attic and other places where ducts are exposed in the home. It is suggested that you should use your sense of touch or even an infrared camera to determine whether there are any rips or tears in your ductwork while the heat or air is blowing after you turn it on. In case of any problem areas, use duct tape to solve the issue temporarily. But you should immediately contact an expert who can remedy the loss of airflow.
5. The next step is walking around your house, looking at all your floor vents, and removing anything that may have fallen in. If you have your kids at home, you may find some crayons, silverware, or other items that have been missing for a long time. You should also check whether there are any obstructions to your vents. Sometimes, clothing items and curtains can accidentally cover a vent if you’re not looking out for them. You should also avoid the easy mistake of covering your floor vents with furniture. This is a perfect time to do a little rearrangement to keep those airways unobstructed.
6. Last but not least, the sixth thing for homeowners is, traveling to wherever your air condenser is located. Suppose there aren’t any weird noises; great! But if there are any, you may need to get help, read through the owner’s manual, or directly give a call to a neighborhood expert.

The above list of things can help you improve the lifespan of your HVAC system along with yearly maintenance. If you are looking for expert HVAC inspection services, feel free to contact us at Atlantic Building Inspections!