HVAC Maintenance Everything You Should Know

As a homeowner, maintaining your HVAC unit is key to having it last a long time. In this post by Stewart: Riva Title Company in South Miami, we’ll talk about how to help your HVAC have a long and useful life.

Why is HVAC Maintenance Important?

Maintaining your HVAC unit is essential as it’s necessary to live comfortably in your home all year long. Keeping up with its unit can also ensure that you have healthy air going through your home, and it can lower your utility bills by improving its efficiency. Doing seasonal maintenance can avoid emergency repairs that can be costly or having to replace the whole unit, which can be very expensive. Seasonal HVAC maintenance can save you hundreds of dollars in the long run and ensure that you have a reliable unit. The sooner you catch an issue with your HVAC, the sooner you can address it, and the easier it will be to repair.

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Parts of an HVAC Unit

There are several steps in an HVAC maintenance routine that you can do yourself and save up in-between visits from professionals by knowing what parts your unit has and how to maintain them properly.

Heat pump: Your HVAC unit’s heat pump doesn’t just heat cold air for your home, but surprisingly it also cools it down depending on the setting you have on.
Furnace: This is a large part of your HVAC unit, and you can usually find it in a utility closet, attic, or basement. Its role is to heat the air that will be pumped through your house’s ducts. There are many types of furnaces like oil, electric, propane, and natural gas. The type of furnace your home has will depend on the area you live in and your house’s needs.
Air conditioner: This part of your unit is tasked with blowing cool air through your home in the hotter months of the year.
Condenser: Your condenser can be found outside your home, and its role is to collect or release heat.
Air purifier: Having an air purifier is helpful if you live somewhere with a lot of pollution. It can also keep the air inside your home healthy for the whole family as it can catch allergens and some types of pathogens.
Dehumidifier: The dehumidifier manages humidity levels inside your home, keeping it comfortable and preventing issues like mold or mildew from growing.
Ductwork: Ducts all along your home transport hot or cold to every corner of your home. Keeping them insulated correctly can make your HVAC system more effective.
A thermostat: Finally, the thermostat works to regulate the temperature inside of your home. Thermostats come in different types of settings. Nowadays, many homeowners choose to have smart thermostats that can be programmed for many hours of the day to save up on energy and have their homes at the optimal temperature.

DIY HVAC Maintenance

Now that you know what parts your HVAC unit is made out of, let’s go over the regular maintenance you can perform on your unit in-between visits from a professional HVAC technician.

Cleaning the Condenser: As we mentioned above, your condenser is a part of the HVAC unit, usually outside your home. Because of this, you need to make sure that there isn’t anything blocking it, like overgrown plants or grass or even trash that can prevent it from working correctly.
Cleaning the Filter: Cleaning your filter is an easy task that takes only a few minutes. You can find the filter in your HVAC’s service panel. Before you remove it to clean it, make sure your HVAC unit is turned off. Once you have it off, remove the filter and clean it by running a hose through it. Once you’re done, make sure it’s completely dry before reinserting it.
Drain Lines: These are located near the condenser unit and can be blocked by plants or debris. Make sure to clean it often to make sure they’re draining correctly.

As a general rule, always check your owner’s manual before doing any maintenance yourself, and follow the instructions of your unit’s manufacturer.

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Bring In a Professional

Professionals should handle some parts of an HVAC maintenance routine. Barring any emergencies or issues, you notice with your unit, having an HVAC technician come to your home once a year is enough to keep it running smoothly. A technician will inspect your HVAC thoroughly and let you know if they find any issues. Some things your technician may inspect are:

Checking and changing the air filter
Cleaning the drain lines and coils.
Checking if the fan works correctly
Checking for leaks
Making sure the refrigerant is at the correct level

An HVAC service can also include cleaning all components, making them work at their best. Efficiency is vital for your unit, as it can save you a lot of money in the long run on utility bills.

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