Central HVAC systems are convenient, energy-efficient tools to heat, cool and ventilate homes. Unfortunately, many HVAC systems prematurely fail as a direct result of neglect. If maintaining your home’s market value and avoiding surprise HVAC problems sound good to you, follow these tips to keep your equipment operating at its best.
1. Check for Leaky Ducts
Ductwork carries cooled or heated air throughout your home. However, many HVAC systems have leaky ducts that result in higher energy bills and poor system performance. Hiring a professional to conduct yearly cleaning and inspection of your ductwork is a wise step. The process can be combined with annual maintenance of your equipment, and both can be conducted by Conan Heating & Air Conditioning anywhere in the Idaho Falls area. These preventative measures are essential parts of your HVAC protection toolkit.
2. Keep Debris Away From Your HVAC Unit
Children, pets and Mother Nature may all cause debris to gather around your home’s HVAC unit. Debris can be sucked up into the equipment, causing problems like decreased indoor air quality or mechanical damage. It’s not possible or even feasible for most people to keep a constant watch over their external HVAC units. A good way to keep debris permanently at bay is to construct a fence or protective housing around the equipment. If you choose the latter option, make sure to leave three feet of room on all sides to allow for future access and prevent overheating.
3. Watch Out for Clogged Water Drains
Every air conditioner requires a drain line. Part of the equipment’s function is to pull humidity from the air inside your home. Disposing of this water is done via a drain line. Although the chance of your drain line clogging is much less if you hire a professional HVAC service provider to maintain your system, drain line clogs can happen out of nowhere. Symptoms of this issue include a moldy smell indoors, especially near your vents, and water damage near your HVAC unit. The system may fail to cool your home properly or even to turn on at all.
4. Routinely Replace the Air Filter
Although the act is simple, many homeowners overlook the necessity of regularly changing the air filter. Failure to replace your filter won’t cause an immediate problem, but it’s certain to shorten the life of your HVAC system and decrease indoor air quality.
If you’d like to arrange preventative maintenance or discuss any of these points further, call Conan Heating & Air Conditioning today. Our team has been serving the Idaho Falls area for nearly 75 years. Besides performing a full line of heating and cooling installation, repair and maintenance, we offer fireplace services and sheet metal work.
