6 Smart Tips For Maintaining Your HVAC System

Is your HVAC system running efficiently? Maintaining your HVAC system is critical for keeping it running at peak performance to prevent rising utility bills and for avoiding costly repairs. Also, the HVAC system is an integral part of the overall comfort of your home. If you want to keep your HVAC system in top-notch condition, then here are some helpful tips!

Clean Your Condensing Unit

Your air conditioner is a significant investment. It’s essential to protect it from dirt, pollen, and grime that can clog up the fins on your condensing unit/heat pump.

Every season, give the outside of your heat pump system some love by cleaning the outside of your unit with a water hose. However, avoid using pressure washers because they’ll damage the unit for good!

Check Your Evaporator Coil’s Drainpipe and Drain Pan

A clogged drain line is a common problem during the spring and summer. Clear the HVAC system’s drainpipe to avoid any buildup of algae and mold. A wet-dry vacuum or bleach can help clean it out. Also, if you don’t install float switches or ‘ceiling savers’ to switch off the air conditioner, water will come pouring through your ceiling due to leaks.

Change Your Filters

Keeping your indoor air clean is vital for your health and your family’s health. You can do this by using disposable filters to remove all those pesky particles from indoor air, like pet dander or pollen. Change the filters every 1 to 3 months, however, if you have pets or it’s allergy season, replace them more often to keep allergens at bay! 

We recommend picking a filter rated MERV 7 to 11. If you don’t, your system will be under too much strain, and efficiency may reduce due to this!

Did you know that your air purification system requires its own cleaning routine? Simply follow the manufacturer’s instructions and be sure to service those filters, too! Also, you should regularly clean the filters in ductless systems.

Inspect and Clear the Area Around Your Outdoor Unit

You want your air conditioner to work perfectly, so take care of any overgrown plants and leaves that might cause problems. Trim any bushes or trees near the unit if they are too close for comfort; make sure to leave around 2 feet of space on all sides of your unit. If you have pollen-producing shrubs like cottonwoods nearby, wash them down regularly with water from a hose — they’re notorious for clogging up condenser units in particular!

Get a Smart AC or AC Controller

An efficient home is one where you can enjoy the best in comfort and convenience. What’s more, thanks to smart HVAC systems, it will be easier than ever for you to keep an eye on its condition at all times, so no high-maintenance surprises come up when they are least welcome!

For example, smart air conditioners or smart AC controllers can help you monitor your usage history and receive alerts when your AC might require a filter cleaning.

Modern thermostats are pretty amazing! They can detect when your AC is not performing optimally or if there’s an issue with indoor air quality, which points towards a defective HVAC system.

Also, with the scheduling and geofencing modes, you can activate your HVAC system at any time, regardless of where you might be. This ensures that your system performs efficiently and doesn’t run unnecessarily to avoid wasting energy.

Get Professional Regular Maintenance

Have a licensed professional come in to perform preventative maintenance on your heating equipment during the fall season and your air conditioning in spring. This will keep the system running at peak efficiency and spot potential problems, so you do not face any significant inconveniences.

Maintenance includes checking the drain pan and drainage system, flushing the coils, checking refrigerant levels in the air conditioning unit, vacuuming the blower compartments, checking the voltage, evaluating furnace operation, checking the voltage on motors and loose wires, etc.

If you’ve noticed that your HVAC system is running longer than usual or if it feels like the air isn’t as cool, then you need to take a closer look at what may be going on. There are many reasons why this might happen, and with some simple maintenance tips, you can avoid costly repairs. We recommend scheduling an appointment with our experts to come out and inspect your unit in Glenview, IL, so we can detect any problems before they become a major issue. Fill out the form and get your free estimate from Bill’s Plumbing and Sewer Inc.!

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