Take control of your HVAC unit. Some homes have indoor air pollution that is two to five times worse than air pollution outside your home. Indoor air pollution can contribute to respiratory and heart problems, so it’s essential that you maintain your AC unit. Here is an Essential HVAC Maintenance Checklist.
Benefits of HVAC Maintenance
If HVAC equipment is not properly cleaned and maintained, there are chances that the appliance might malfunction. If the problem is further ignored and left unchecked, then the appliance can collapse. Resultantly, it can negatively affect your business. So it is important not to ignore any signs of malfunctioning in your system. When the HVAC system is properly maintained and functioning at full capacity, it ensures that:
- The area maintains a comfortable temperature indoors and prevents problems such as mold and mildew from occurring.
- An adequately functioning HVAC system means low energy costs.
- It provides consistent and equal heating and cooling indoors
- Regular maintenance Keeps Your Unit Lasting Longer.
- Regular annual maintenance on your HVAC system means fewer repairs in the future
- It Improves Safety for your customers and staff
Maintenance of HVAC system checklist
Visual inspection of the system
The easiest HVAC essential maintenance tip is to visually inspect your HVAC system. Your eyes are one of the most powerful tools that you can use for a maintenance check of your HVAC system. Look around the outdoor and indoor units of your AC. Look for any signs of damage such as water leaks, discoloration of the area around the AC, mold, fungus, debris in the fan and dirt accumulation, etc. A simple cleaning process can usually solve problems.
Clean the vents
If the vents around your home are covered with furniture, rugs, or other items, they can obstruct the airflow. This resultantly will keep warm air from circulating through the house. It also puts additional strain on your system, causing it to work harder than it is required.
Lubricate the moving parts
Every HVAC system has moving parts that need to be lubricated in order to minimize friction. The lubrication helps the components run smoothly and minimizes wear and tear. HVAC professionals remove the debris from moving parts and use the lubricant to keep friction at a minimum. The lubrication process should be repeated very often to save your system from permanent damage.
Check air filters
When did you last clean or replace your HVAC filters? This is a simple and HVAC essential home maintenance task, but unfortunately, it’s often overlooked. Cleaning air filters regularly prolongs the lifespan of your system. They also help your system to run at optimal efficiency. This saves energy and keeps utility bills down. We recommend cleaning or replacing filters every one to two months, especially when your HVAC system runs 24/7 during the winter.
Check the refrigerant levels
Air conditioner’s refrigerant acts as the errand runner of the unit. It is the liquid that’s used to cool your home’s air. It moves back and forth between the indoor and outdoor units of your air conditioner and cools off the air in your home. Air conditioners need to have sufficient refrigerant to cool the air efficiently. If the refrigerant is not enough, the compressor will not run at full capacity. This will cause your air conditioner to work hard to achieve the desired temperature. In most cases, it can even stop cooling altogether.
This can be a serious problem and hence it would be better to call an HVAC professional. Signs that you have a refrigerant leak are:
- AC runs longer than usual
- Warm air is coming out of the vents
- The air conditioner is not cooling
- High energy bills with low AC usage
As you cannot check the refrigerant on your own, a professional can check refrigerant levels and will recharge it if needed.
Inspect the HVAC system exhaust
One of the important tasks in the HAVC maintenance checklist is to inspect the exhaust. In ducted systems, clogged exhaust outlets lead to mold and algae buildup. Therefore this problem can be rectified by a professional HVAC technician. He will clear out the furnace exhaust from time to time so that the air flows smoothly out of the vents. Moreover, debris can also accumulate and prevent the smooth outflow of gases, reducing the HVAC system’s efficiency.
Check the Electrical Connections
Regularly inspect the wiring and electrical connections of your ducted HVAC system. If they are loose, they can cause electrical sparks and short circuits, which can be dangerous. Over time, they can then completely come off and prevent the proper functioning of your HVAC system. Therefore, call an HVAC technician to check the connection.
Check the Working of Your Thermostat
Smart thermostats bring convenience and save on energy bills. Nowadays, it is considered one of the HVAC essentials as they keep your indoor temperature regulated. They create automatic and programmable temperature settings based on your daily schedules, weather conditions, and heating and cooling requirements. Just like the rest of your unit, they also need to be inspected for proper calibration.
During HVAC maintenance, an HVAC expert will check if your thermostat is showing accurate readings or not. Moreover, a professional will ensure that the actual temperature and the temperature on the thermostat match. If not they will know how to recalibrate it.
Keep Condensation Drain Clear
Your air conditioner extracts moisture from the air while it runs. That moisture then accumulates on the evaporator coil, from where it drips through the condensate drain. If this drain is clogged due to mold, dirt, or dust, the water can then leak all over the indoor unit. Furthermore, it can even drip down your walls, creating stains. Therefore an HVAC essential tip is to inspect the condensate drain for any blockages.
Check the condenser unit
In addition to settling on filters, dust, and debris also accumulate on some important parts of HVAC systems. This includes a blower, condensing unit, and other moving parts. A dirty condenser coil impacts the performance of your AC. When it is covered with dirt or debris, it can cause harm to your system as the heat gets trapped inside and can’t be effectively released. This leads to inefficient cooling and increased energy consumption. It is an important task among HVAC maintenance checklists to have your air conditioner cleaned regularly.
Therefore, get your HVAC system checked for by a professional. They will carefully examine and clean the accumulated foreign objects. This would help to prevent permanent damage to the internal systems of the condenser.
Hire an HVAC Technician
Though most of the Essential 2024 HVAC Maintenance Checklist tasks can be tackled yourself. But the fact is that HVAC systems are complex and intricate machines. You might not be able to identify some deeper issues. For these deep inspections, you need to call an HVAC company that can ensure the proper functioning of your system.
It is always good to schedule maintenance checks with a professional HVAC contractor for HVAC systems to run efficiently. Alturas Los Angeles HVAC contractor is the most trustworthy and well-known commercial HVAC company. We not only provide HVAC installation services but also provide HVAC repair and maintenance services. Call our team for preventive maintenance on your HVAC system so that it runs smoothly throughout the season.
