If you’re like most homeowners, you have an HVAC system that helps keep you and your family comfortable throughout the year. Whether you have just a furnace or both a furnace and a centralized cooling unit, you’ll need to schedule professional maintenance with a local HVAC company. Knowing when to schedule this maintenance is necessary to keep your system(s) in good working order.
One Maintenance Appointment Per Unit
It’s highly recommended that you schedule professional maintenance at least once a year for each type of unit. You’ll want to schedule service for your cooling system in the early spring.
This will give you time to fix any issues that your HVAC technician finds with your system before you need to rely on it each day to stay comfortable and safe during the summer. When it comes to your furnace, you should schedule professional service in the fall months for the same reason, to keep you comfortable in the winter.
It’s important for you to enlist the help of a professional instead of trying to do maintenance on your own. They not only have experience identifying potential problems with your system, but most system manufacturers also require it for your warranty coverage to remain active. If you even miss one year of professional maintenance service, it could void the warranty coverage on your heating or cooling system.
Another necessary task you’ll need to undertake is checking your supply and return vents on a regular basis. These vents need to have adequate space surrounding them. Aim for around 3 feet of open space. It’s not uncommon for homeowners to accidentally set items and move furniture in front of these vents. This restriction can decrease your HVAC system’s ability and lead to excessive wear and tear on your system.
Homeowner HVAC Maintenance
It’s important that you still perform regular homeowner maintenance on your HVAC system throughout the year. One of your most vital jobs is to replace your system’s air filter when necessary.
It’s a good rule of thumb to check your system’s air filter at least once per month. Pull the air filter out and hold it up to a light source. If you can’t see through the filter any longer, it’s time to replace it with a brand-new one. Make sure that you replace the filter with one of the same model number for the best results.
Throughout the summer months, you’ll need to make sure that your outside unit is regularly free from debris. It’s very common for leaves and other outside debris to get blown up against the housing of your outdoor AC compressor unit.
When this happens, airflow inside the unit will be restricted. This will decrease its overall efficiency and can eventually cause internal damage to your unit. Make it a habit to check your outdoor unit every couple of weeks and after each major storm.
What’s the Benefit of HVAC Maintenance?
Apart from maintaining an active warranty on your HVAC system, you can enjoy many other benefits of regular HVAC maintenance from a licensed professional. First and foremost, you’ll be alerted of any problems with your heating or cooling system while they’re small and cheaper to fix.
Regular maintenance will help extend the overall life span of your units. This is because your HVAC technician will properly lubricate all moving parts and deep clean your unit for optimal performance. When your heating or cooling unit is working at its peak, it’s going to last much longer. This means that you’ll get more out of your investment.
When your system undergoes regular maintenance, it will require much fewer repair calls throughout its life span. You’ll not only save money on fewer repair calls, but you’ll also save money by enjoying smaller utility bills since your systems will be running more efficiently throughout the year. Even more so, you’ll enjoy peace of mind knowing that a professional HVAC technician gave your system the OK.
Reliable HVAC Service
Gunthers Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing offers reliable HVAC service for the entire American Fork, UT region. Our technicians can also help with all of your heating, cooling, plumbing, indoor air quality, ductwork, solar-powered attic fan, sheet metal fabrication, and commercial needs. Give our office a call today, and we’ll get your next service appointment scheduled.
