4 Tips to Make Your AC Unit Live a Long and Happy Life
Taking care of out heating and cooling units is very important to the comfort level of our homes. Even the best heating and cooling systems need regular maintenance and upkeep in order to stay alive and kicking. Heating and air repair can actually get pretty expensive. Especially if they are issues that could be avoided through simply taking care of your HVAC system. Although heating and air conditioning services are not fairly reasonably priced, it’s a waste of money when it’s a problem that shouldn’t have ever happened. Here are some tips to avoid having to get heating and air repair done to often in your home:
- Replace your HVAC air filters
The best way to call in heating and air repairmen is to never replace your filters. This is such an easy maintenance method that no one has an excuse. Filters are very inexpensive, even high efficiency filters and only need to be replaced maybe once every three months. However, if you have pets, you may want to replace them monthly. In any case, make sure you check on them every couple of months and then replace them every third month. All that is needed to check them is to open the grate and look at the quality of the filter. If they have a bunch of dust and dirt, replace them. If not, check again next month. Easy as that. - Service the Unit
We need regular check ups at our dentist and doctor’s office and an air conditioning unit is no different. Twice a year is the recommended amount to have a heating and air repair service come in and tune up your unit. Once before the winter hits and once before summer arrives is a good rule of thumb to follow. They will check efficiency and air flow as well as the unit itself and make sure nothing needs to be cleaned or repaired before the new season is here. The check up itself never costs that much but if there is something wrong with the unit, you will have to find out from the serviceman what kind of price you are looking at. However, if you are regularly getting check ups, chances are, there won’t be any serious problems. The reason you want to get it checked before winter and summer is because these are the seasons where you unit will be used the most. Spring and Fall are fairly mild in most places and opening windows and doors will help to air out the house and keep in cool so there’s no reason to turn on the unit. However, if you use your unit year round, you will want check ups more often than twice a year. - Keep the Unit Clear
Make sure you aren’t storing things in the same closet where your unit is. Or on top of it. Your heating and cooling unit need room to breathe and to do its thing. Don’t make it share with the storage or other household items. In fact, this can be pretty dangerous if the items in the same closet are flammable. Outdoor units should also be kept clear of debris and leaves and dirt. A two foot clearance of shrubs and grass around the unit is a realistic measurement to keep in mind. This is to avoid any obstructions to the air flow of the unit. Obstructions cause the unit to work harder and will shorten its lifespan quickly. - Check Coils
Evaporator and condenser coils tend to get wound to tightly if the unit has been used a lot. After the season is over, you can take a look yourself or you can mention it to the servicemen that you call to come look over the unit before you begin the next season of HVAC use. Be careful if you are going to check the coils yourself. You’ll want to wait until the unit has been turned off for several consecutive days to do this.
You will be surprised at how long your heating and cooling unit lasts and how little work it needs if you take care of it. It could live long past its life expectancy by simply keeping up on its care.
