With summer looming up around the corner already, you want to make sure that your air conditioning unit is in top condition. Heating and cooling systems are the backbones of our homes and our comfort and taking care of them should be a top priority. Without a good temperature and environment in the house, it can affect temperament, moods and even hormone development which can cause tension and irritation between the residents of the household. Here are a few ways that you can make sure you are taking great care of your heating and cooling systems all year around so that you can avoid a major incident:
- Twice a year, have HVAC services come out and do a routine maintenance check on your unit. Fall and spring is a good rule of thumb to have your unit checked. They can inspect and clean areas of the unit that are difficult for residents and home owners to reach. There are very affordable electricians that are contractors and can work with you on pricing.
- Make sure you have good filters. High efficiency filters on heating and cooling systems are a good idea because they have an electrostatic charge and grabs on to the tiniest particles. These particles can be anything from dust to bacteria.
- Replace these filters at least once every 90 days or three months. It’s a good idea to check them every month, however so that if they begin to look to dark or clogged you can change them early. Having pets requires changes more often. Filters are not at all expensive or even hard to change so this shouldn’t require much effort at all. Even the high efficiency filters will not cost as much as you might think.
- Make sure that you have at least two feet around any outdoor air conditioning units or heat pumps where the area is clear or debris, plants or other items that could hinder your unit from functioning efficiently. Make sure that units remain clear all of all leaves and debris or twigs that may fall on them throughout the year. Also ensure that your outdoor heating and cooling system is on a firm and level ground. If not, have a pad inserted to steady the unit.
- Refrigerant lines should be checked every month for damages or leaks. As soon as you spot one, have it fixed immediately. Also check the insulation on the lines and if any appears missing or damaged, replace that right away as well.
- In order to avoid any mold, mildew or algae that can clog up the air conditioner condensate drain, once a year, flush it out with a cup of bleach and water mixture.
- During the summer, if possible, try and shut off the water supply to your humidifier. When you are going to be turning on the heat again later in the year, make sure to replace the humidifier filter and reset the humidity to 35 to 40 percent before turning the water supply back on.
- Make sure that you replace the battery in your carbon monoxide detector every year. This will help ensure that you have decent indoor air quality all year long.
Following these simple tips help to ensure that you heating and cooling system is always running in the best condition possible, giving you the highest quality air. Having low air quality can induce sickness, lower the immune system and aggravate any allergies, asthma or respiratory conditions that you or your family might already suffer from. Avoid all of this unpleasantness by taking care of your heating and cooling system in a way that you can be proud of. Doing this will also save you money in the long run. If you don’t take care of your unit, chances are it will break down, sooner than necessary and end up needing replacement parts that could have been avoided. Even worse, you could end up shortening the life of your unit and having to shell out thousands of dollars for a new one when you could have been keeping up on the maintenance and gotten a good few more years from the same unit. Do the smart thing and prevent unnecessary wear and tear on your unit.
