If you’re preparing for spring cleaning and maintenance, consider prioritizing HVAC unit maintenance. Spring HVAC maintenance can help get your equipment clean, lubricated, and ready to go after the cold winter weather subsides. It’ll also prevent unnecessary breakdowns, which you want to avoid during the hot summer months.
Prioritizing your HVAC unit during spring cleaning also helps your system perform better and operate more efficiently, which can help you reduce your energy expenditure and associated costs. Below are some useful tips that you can implement to ensure your HVAC is ready for the spring and summer seasons.
1. Change the Filters
A clogged filter is among the main causes of HVAC unit breakdowns. It puts extra strain on your HVAC, causing it to fail faster. You must change the filters regularly to get the most out of your heating and cooling equipment while maintaining efficiency. According to HVAC experts, you should regularly check your filters and clean or replace them every 30 to 90 days, depending on the type or model you use. The beginning of springtime is the ideal time to change your HVAC filters so that your system can work more efficiently during the warmer months.
2. Inspect Your Ductwork
Blocked or leaky ductwork can force your HVAC system to overwork, decreasing its life span and efficiency. Your air filters play a significant role in trapping dust and other allergens. However, they don’t block 100% of the particles. Some of the allergens still go through the filter and continue into your ductwork. When your ducts accumulate these contaminants, the HVAC must work harder to push air out and inside your home, which can increase your energy bills.
Dirty ducts can also become perfect breeding grounds for rodents, pests, and dust mites. They can even impact indoor air quality. Ensuring your HVAC unit’s ductwork is in top shape at the beginning of spring allows the unit to cool your living space more effectively during the hot summer months and produce cleaner indoor air.
3. Seal Air Leaks
As the weather warms up, it’s important to seal any air leaks throughout your home. Openings around your windows and doors can make it more difficult to maintain a steady temperature in your home in the warm summer months. When your air conditioner is circulating conditioned air, even the smallest openings allow large amounts of that cooled air to seep outside. As a result, your AC will need to run for longer durations and expend more energy to cool your house efficiently.
If there are any leaks in your home, they’ll negatively affect your comfort during the warmer months. In addition, the extra stress on your AC unit will increase the probability of serious HVAC problems in the long run. Use caulking and weather stripping to seal any openings around your windows and doors tightly to ensure your home is tightly sealed for efficient HVAC use.
4. Clean the HVAC Outdoor Unit
Your outdoor unit, or condenser, can become dirty over time, which impedes airflow and minimizes efficiency. Keeping the outdoor unit clean is among the most cost-effective ways to have reliable HVAC performance.
Consider hiring a licensed technician to inspect and clean the condenser to prevent coil-related HVAC problems in the warm months. Also, if there are bushes near the outdoor unit, clear them to prevent them from covering or blocking your system.
5. Inspect and Adjust Your Thermostat
Your thermostat regulates your home’s indoor temperatures and can impact your energy bills. So, it’s important to ensure that the thermostat is working well and set to the correct temperatures for the warm months. In this case, you’ll need to adjust your thermostat’s settings to reflect the warmer weather.
Apart from adjusting the thermostat settings, you can benefit from upgrading your thermostat if you still have a manual one. Many programmable thermostats have many settings and self-correcting functionalities that can help you lower your energy costs. Besides, they give you more control over your indoor environment’s temperature.
Schedule Your HVAC Unit Tune-Up
Spring is the best time for preparing your HVAC equipment for warmer weather. Incorporating the abovementioned into your home’s spring cleaning list can help boost indoor comfort and reduce energy costs. Additionally, it’ll help prevent emergency HVAC repairs, and it can extend the life of your air conditioning unit. Our HVAC specialists at North Point Air Conditioning & Heating can examine your unit and perform maintenance tasks to keep the HVAC in top shape and your home comfortable all year-round.
We also offer smart thermostats, mini splits, air quality, insulation, and commercial HVAC services to the residents of Spring, TX, and the surrounding areas. Contact our representatives now to schedule your HVAC maintenance appointment.
