Unless you’re part of the industry, the subject of HVAC (aka Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) may seem bleak and complex. At Lancaster Furnace & Air Conditioning, we aspire to make things more simplistic and relative for you. So whether snuggling up to binge-watch your favorite series or unwinding to a book in your free time, we seek to provide you comfort through our quality service while you do whatever you love to do within your household. With that being said, we’d like to share further how to maintain your system, what to do when something is deficient with your system, and what preventative maintenance can bestow upon you.
Why is Maintenance for Your HVAC System Significant?
The most effective HVAC maintenance you can give to your household is preventative. By living proactively, you’re laying forth the efforts that will maintain the prevention of future dilemmas from occurring. Some things that can go wrong with your HVAC include corrosion, leaks, and cold or hot air distribution. Clogged filters and filthy coils can also cause problems, so keeping atop your maintenance responsibilities year after year will prove crucial.
First, always maintain the following: guarantee space around indoor and outdoor HVAC components, free of blockages and debris (2 feet around), and invest in a high-efficiency air filter, exchanging them as required. Then, every month, examine your A/C refrigerant lines linking your outdoor A/C to your system’s indoor evaporator coil for leaks. Next, when summer occurs, please do yourself a favor and shut off the water to your furnace humidifier, turning it on once more in the fall.
Finally, these are the tasks you should accomplish once a year:
- Switch the batteries in each carbon monoxide detector
- Lubricate your HVAC, and swap its fan belt if it’s not efficiently performing
- Clean your A/C condensation drain line with bleach
- Confirm that your outdoor A/C unit is sitting on level ground
Here at Lancaster Furnace & Air Conditioning, we urge you to sign up for a preventative maintenance plan. Doing so will help you find solace in knowing your HVAC system is managed effectively. The life expectancy of an HVAC system is 10 to 25 years. How you protect that system will discern whether it lasts closer to 10 or 25.
What If Your HVAC System is Functioning Poorly?
As we move up to the warmer weather, assuring your A/C sufficiently performs is important. But, what should you do if you give your A/C a seasonal test run and it is lacking? First thing’s first, make sure the problem isn’t your furnace. Next, put your thermostat to A/C mode and decrease the temperature setting. If the furnace fan starts up, the problem is not with the furnace. If the fan doesn’t work, try resetting the circuit breaker to your furnace. Then, if the fan still doesn’t turn on, it is time to call a specialist.
When to Contact an HVAC Professional?
An HVAC skilled professional will help ensure that your HVAC unit is as energy-efficient as feasible. It’s time to call the experts when:
- Your energy bill is abnormally elevated
- Your thermostat is warning you of excess humidity or water
- You wish to save expenses for repairs in the long run
- Your indoor air quality is messed up
- A flawed part needs repairing
- A routine maintenance appointment needs scheduling
- An odd noise requires inspection
- Something smells like it’s burning
- You want to lengthen the lifespan of your air conditioner
Nonetheless, unless you have the schooling of someone proficient in HVAC, even if you are skillful and wise, it will remain in your best interest as a homeowner to communicate with a professional before acting further when situations surface with your HVAC system. I’m sure you’d prefer not to suffer the unwarranted difficulties of an unsuccessful try at mending your system alone. So let us propose relief from your stressors. Call Lancaster Furnace & Air Conditioning today at (740) 625-2320, or schedule an appointment online now by clicking here!
