Do you schedule HVAC maintenance every year to keep your system running in top shape? Because you really, really should. Routine HVAC maintenance is one of the best things you can do to preserve the life of your system and maintain high energy efficiency.
Annual HVAC Maintenance Checklist
Here are a few things you should make sure gets done to your home heating and air conditioning system every single year:
Clean and/or Replace the Filters! You don't need an HVAC professional to clean your air filters, and you should definitely check and change your filters more than just annually. Check them monthly and replace them as needed.
Clean the Coils. We don't recommend you clean your HVAC coils without some basic knowledge about systems. Which is why it is a good idea to get your local pro out once a year to knock the dust and debris off the coils. Letting your coils stay dirty not only decreases efficiency, but it can also lead to increased corrosion. Corrosion can cause refrigerant leaks. Which really stink.
Check the Drain Lines and Pan for Proper Water Flow. Here's another one you can do yourself. Is water flowing smoothly out of the drain pan? If it's not, you probably have a clog somewhere. Find it and remove it.
Inspect the Air Ducts for Mold or Debris. Well, you can check your air ducts yourself, but you probably don't want to. Air ducts can be in hard to reach spaces. If you don't feel comfortable crawling around in those places, get a professional. A broken or moldy air duct can cause real problems.
Check the Refrigerant Charge. This is not something the average person should do, but it is really important you have a pro check the charge each year. A low charge can indicate a leak that needs to be repaired ASAP.
Remove Debris Around the Outside Unit. Another simple HVAC maintenance job! Is there a bunch of trash and debris around your outside condenser? Pick it up and throw it away! Not only can debris block air flow, but small bits of it can get blow into the unit and gunk up stuff. Which is bad.
More HVAC Maintenance Questions?
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