The biggest mistake you can make when it comes to your Galveston home’s HVAC system is not keeping it properly maintained. Heating and cooling maintenance make a major difference in how well an HVAC system works and can end up saving you a lot of money in the long run. If you want to make sure your HVAC system is running properly, here are the most important things you need to do.
1. Inspect Your HVAC Air Filter Periodically
One of the most important aspects of maintaining any type of HVAC system is replacing or cleaning the air filter. If you have a central system, you generally want to do that no less frequently than every two to three months during the times when the system is getting lots of use. When it’s much hotter out and your cooling runs far more, you may need to replace or clean the filter every four to six weeks. If you have a ductless mini-split system with reusable filters, you typically want to clean the filter in each indoor unit monthly.
Neglecting to replace or clean the air filter regularly is the most common reason most HVAC systems give out prematurely. That’s because a dirty filter restricts airflow, which hampers the system’s performance and causes it to run longer and work harder. This leads to more wear and tear that continually shortens the system’s life. Your HVAC system will also use more energy than necessary whenever its filter is dirty. All of these reasons are why you should get into the habit of inspecting the filter every month so that you can easily tell when it’s starting to get dirty. Doing so is especially important if you have dogs or cats since pet hair and dander can quickly clog the filter.
2. Get Your Furnace or Heat Pump Serviced
If you haven’t yet had your furnace or heat pump serviced this winter, now is a good time to do so since you’ll likely need to keep using it for heat through the start of spring. Even though you typically don’t need to rely on your heating system much in the Galveston area, annual maintenance helps to ensure it works when you need it and can heat effectively. A furnace or heat pump will also work more efficiently and use less energy if a professional maintains it every year. Even more importantly, maintenance helps protect the life of the unit so that you get as many years out of it as you can. This is especially crucial for a gas furnace since it can help you avoid any possible safety hazards, such as a fire or carbon monoxide leaking out in your house.
3. Schedule a Spring Cooling Tune-Up
If you want to make sure your HVAC system can handle the summer heat and effectively keep your house cool, you need to schedule a tune-up every spring. The system will also use less energy, require fewer repairs and last longer if it’s maintained by an experienced professional annually. For a cooling system to perform effectively, you need to do certain things like make sure to keep both coils clean, clean the blower so that it’s not clogged by dust, and check that the system has the right amount of refrigerant and isn’t leaking Virtually all of the most important tasks aren’t something just anyone can do and could result in serious damage if you tried to do them yourself. That’s why you should leave everything to a professional who knows exactly what needs to be done, how to do everything properly and can also identify any issues your system may have.
4. Keep the Area Around Your Outdoor HVAC Unit Clean
If you have a central AC or mini-split, it’s important to regularly check the outdoor unit throughout the cooling season to ensure there is no debris piled up around it or vegetation growing too close. If you have a heat pump, this should be done throughout the year. In terms of vegetation, you want to make sure nothing is growing within 2-3 feet of the unit so that it has proper clearance on all sides.
The point of keeping the area around an outdoor HVAC unit clear is to ensure its fan can draw sufficient air through it. If the airflow is obstructed, it can lead to the unit not performing at its peak effectiveness. For instance, there constantly needs to be plenty of air flowing through a cooling unit since this is how it releases the heat it pulled out of the house. If the unit can’t effectively release all of this heat, the system’s refrigerant won’t cool down as much as it should. That means it then won’t be able to capture nearly as much heat when it gets pumped back through the evaporator coil inside the house. Even worse is that it can lead to the unit’s compressor overheating, which has the potential to cause major damage to it. When a heat pump is running in heating mode, it also needs sufficient air flowing through since this is how it captures all of the heat that it then transfers inside.
5. Make Sure Your Ductwork Is in Good Shape and Properly Insulated
Ductwork leaks or poorly insulated air ducts in areas like your attic can have a major negative impact on an HVAC system’s performance and contribute to a huge amount of energy being wasted. In extreme cases, ductwork issues can decrease the energy efficiency of an HVAC system by 20%-30%. That’s why you should have an HVAC expert check your ductwork every year to make sure it doesn’t need to be resealed and that the ducts in your attic or crawl space are properly insulated. If your ductwork is more than 20-25 years old, replacing it can also provide benefits by ensuring your HVAC system performs better and uses less energy.
6. Have Your Ductwork Professionally Cleaned
Professional ductwork cleaning isn’t necessary every year. However, if it’s been more than three years since the last time, you should make sure to do it this year. Dirty ductwork is an issue for two different reasons. One is that it prevents your HVAC system from working by obstructing or restricting the airflow in the duct system. The other is that it negatively impacts your indoor air quality and can cause your house to be overly dusty.
As a leading heating and cooling company in the Galveston area, George’s Air Conditioning is ready to handle all of your HVAC maintenance needs. No matter what model or type of HVAC unit you have, our technicians have the knowledge and skills to ensure it’s properly maintained. We work on residential and commercial systems and can help with your repair, installation, air quality, and duct cleaning needs as well. To learn more about how we can help you, contact George’s Air Conditioning today.