Can I really prevent costly HVAC repairs with simple monthly maintenance?
In Los Angeles County and Orange County, you might be paying an arm and a leg for property taxes, mortgages, and more just to put a roof over your head. If your HVAC system fails you, all you basically have is the roof plus more costly expenses. If you can’t control the climate inside your house, why not just sleep outside? Okay don’t do that, but with high priced housing why would you want to spend more money on your home just to keep it bearable?
With the extreme heat and the sneaky cold winters in Southern California, your HVAC system’s efficiency is an important part of your life. If your heat breaks down during the winter or you don’t have any cool air during the summer, things can be rough at home. Nobody wants to feel miserable at home. We know HVAC systems are not completely perfect, but we wanted to provide you a few ways you can avoid wasting your money on repairs with these HVAC maintenance tips:
Maintenance Check-Ups
Your heating system and air-conditioning are made up of several vital components. If one part breaks down a mechanical domino effect can potentially take place and cause other components of your system to operate erratically. This is why a bi-annual maintenance check-up is always the best way to ensure everything is doing what it’s supposed to do as efficiently as it should.
You take your car in to get an oil change, or you replace a light bulb when it goes out, the same goes for monitoring your heating and air-conditioning. The best times to schedule a maintenance check-up are in the spring and fall. You want to be ready for the hot Los Angeles County and Orange County summer and you want all of your HVAC maintenance locked down before the winter comes. This will prevent unexpected failures and breakdowns.
Replace Your Air Filters
Every few months, depending on your system) you should replace your air filters. Remember your heating system and cooling systems need proper airflow to cycle within your home. If you don’t have the proper circulation of air, not only will you not get all that comfortable cool air or comfy heat, but also you might get a lung full of dust, debris, and allergens. Replacing your filters guarantees air flow, fights poor air quality, and avoids overworking your heater or air conditioner to prevent it from running itself into the ground.
Clear Visible Debris
Another important item is to make sure you don’t have visible debris
blocking your heating system or forming around your exterior unit. Sometimes debris will build-up on the cage and fins of your outside unit. There are a few ways to safely clean your unit but you have to be able to put everything back properly otherwise your system could malfunction. Accurate’s professionals have extensive knowledge in performing this and can show you how to do it yourself.
Remember as a safety precaution as well, keep furniture, storage items or trash away from your heating system to avoid any potential fire risk. Remember not to lean garden equipment, bicycles, or storage boxes up against both your interior and exterior unit.
Pay Attention to the Weather
Besides simple HVAC maintenance tasks, you should also pay attention to
your environment. Check the weather for Los Angeles County and Orange County. We all lead busy lives and are constantly on the go, so some of us are guilty of forgetting to turn our air off during the day when we are not home. Sometimes you don’t even need your heater or an air conditioner on throughout the day during peak temperatures. It all depends on the weather systems moving through your neighborhood. If you can go for a few days a week without having to use your HVAC system, you will automatically reduce costs and repairs by not overusing it.
Utilize Your Natural Habitat
We don’t have to sleep in a pack in the middle of the floor or rely on blubber layers like Polar Bears to keep warm in the winter. We can use our ingenuity. Without having to use energy or run your HVAC system all the time you can close the blinds to your windows to cut down the heat. You can search your home for leaks in doorways and window frames and easily seal those to keep cool air within your home during the summer. Depending on how your property is situated you might even have a few trees that help a lot with shade protection beyond your roof. If you know a room gets cold during the day, open the window blinds and let the sun in or do the opposite when it comes to staying cool in the summer.
Checking your insulation will also give you some information about how much air is staying in your home or is leaving. The better insulation you have the more you can control the temperature on your own and use your HVAC system even less. You’ll save money on your energy and you won’t have to worry about it breaking down either!
Clean Your Ductwork
Regularly checking on the ductwork of your property will help you save an
immense amount of money on your HVAC system maintenance and your energy bills. If your ductwork has a build-up of debris, is tampered with by some inhabitant of the wilderness or hasn’t been cleaned in a long time, you could be wasting more energy on your heating system and central-air than you think. If the system is running at a high capacity but is unable to produce the proper temperature control results, that’s like running an engine for no reason. Clear air flow is like nice blood circulation in the human body. The better the circulation you have, the stronger you are and the more efficient you can perform to rigorous tasks. The same goes for your ductwork. Perfect flowing ductwork ensures you don’t have over compensation with your HVAC system.
Schedule a Tune-Up
A tune-up will do wonders for your HVAC maintenance. This is one of the best HVAC maintenance tips we can provide. Receiving a tune-up will prevent unexpected component failure, ensure you are comfortable within your home, and rejuvenates the operating power of your heater and air-conditioner. If you can understand how these mechanical systems operate you will know why a tune-up is valuable to system longevity. A tune-up will keep your wallet from spending money you could be using on more important things, like vacations, groceries, swimming pools, and well… you’ll think of something.
Remember you can call us at Accurate to help you with your HVAC maintenance. We’re all over Los Angeles County and Orange County and we know the weather here well.
