How to Take Care of Your HVAC System

Some Upper Mount Royal homeowners may know their home has an HVAC system but not know exactly what it is. HVAC stands for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning, and from that name, it’s easy to see what makes it so important to a home. An HVAC system keeps a home cool in the summer, warm in the winter, and moves air around so it doesn’t get stale. Like any sort of household appliance, it’s easy to forget that it’s a machine that needs occasional maintenance—especially if it’s located outside the home where it isn’t seen very often. If a homeowner doesn’t take care of their HVAC machine, it could break down, and that would cause many problems in extreme weather conditions. To prevent this from happening, here are some easy ways for homeowners to take care of their HVAC systems.

Change the Filter Regularly

Like a furnace, an HVAC system has filters, and those filters need to be changed regularly to ensure it keeps working properly. If the HVAC system’s filter gets too full of debris or gunk, the system won’t be able to suck air in, which causes the motor to have to work harder to do its job, which leads to an increased chance of breaking down. To prevent this, homeowners need to replace their HVAC system’s filter regularly. 

For most HVAC systems, the filter will need to be replaced every 1-3 months. Homeowners can check their manual or the system itself to see what their system recommends. Changing an HVAC system’s filter is easy, and homeowners can do it on their own without professional help.

Clear the Area Around the HVAC System

When the air conditioning portion of the HVAC system is located outside, homeowners may think it’s an eyesore and try to block it behind flowers and other foliage to make the area look nicer. Homeowners who want to do this need to be careful, however. If flowers and bushes get too close to the AC, it can suck them in, and then those leaves and twigs get stuck inside it, leading to an expensive repair for the homeowner.

When planting flowers or landscaping near an AC unit, always be sure to leave a good amount of empty space between them. This empty space will drastically reduce the chances of something getting inside the AC and it breaking down.

Get the HVAC System Professionally Inspected

While there’s a lot of care and maintenance that homeowners can do without professional help, sometimes it’s best to get a professional opinion. Many people choose to have their HVAC system inspected once per year in order to catch small problems before they can turn into large problems.

A professional knows what to look for when examining an HVAC system, and they know what to listen for to identify problems. Professionals have a lot of skills that normal homeowners just don’t have, so their insight is invaluable. Spending money to hire a professional for an inspection today can help save hundreds or even thousands of dollars in repair or replacement bills tomorrow.

It’s easy for homeowners to forget their HVAC systems because HVAC systems are usually positioned where they will be out of the way. However, it’s vital that homeowners know how to maintain their HVAC systems to prevent future problems. Being able to take care of the system properly can be a great way to lengthen its lifespan.