Your HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) units are an essential part of your home and life. They keep the air you breathe clean and comfortable and can last for years upon years when the right amount of attention is paid to their upkeep. The point of preventative maintenance is to keep more substantial, more expensive problems from rising down the line.
Unfortunately, many homeowners don’t worry about their furnace, air conditioning, or ventilation systems until something has already gone wrong. Often, these appliances are out of sight from one’s daily routine, so they get forgotten. But it’s worth paging yourself a reminder to conduct routine maintenance. You don’t always need a professional’s involvement to do this. You don’t need much HVAC knowledge of any kind, either. The following guide will tell you how to do your part in keeping your HVAC units up and running without issues.
Buy a Quality Air Filter
Not all air filters will do the best job in keeping your air and HVAC units clean. When it comes to shopping for an air filter, look for two phrases: “pleated” and “energy-efficient.” These filters are the best at grabbing onto particles in the air and keeping them away from your breathing air and the components of your HVAC unit.
Replace Your Furnace Filter Every Few Months
Every 90 days or so, your furnace filter should be changed out for a new one to ensure optimum performance. Some homes might need this filter changed more often, particularly if dust tends to get inside often (like if you live on a farm) or if you have pets that shed fur and dander. You might even need to change this once a month instead of every three months. Look for MERV rated filters; a MERV 11 filter would be ideal.
Clear the HVAC Unit Area of Debris
Whenever you have a big storm, or just now and then as you do work outside of your home, it’s best to take a look at any external HVAC units, particularly air conditioners. A quick pickup of the area will remove debris that could clog up your system.
Inspect the Refrigerant Lines
Once every month, you should inspect the lines of your AC unit to ensure that none are missing or damaged. Replace those that are broken or missing.
Be Mindful of the Season
In summer, when you’re not going to need to use your furnace, turn off the water supply that goes to it. Then, when you’re ready to use the furnace in the Fall or winter, replace the humidifier wick filter before turning on the water supply.
Replace Carbon Monoxide Detector Batteries
At least once or twice per year, you need to replace the batteries on your carbon monoxide detector. Your filter can cause leaks of carbon monoxide into the air when it isn’t working correctly. This odorless gas can cause terrible sickness and even death when people are exposed to it. The best advice is to have several carbon monoxide detectors in your home at different points. Replace all of their batteries at least once each year.
