Getting your home heating and air systems checked on a regular basis is almost a given, but it’s easy to forget about the tiny problems until they’ve grown too large to handle. Be proactive, and you’ll save yourself a lot of problems.
Clean and Functional
Every season, and preferably every month, you should give your home heating and air system a thorough cleaning. While this does not necessarily require a professional, most people use one simply for the convenience of it. While anyone can clean the easily accessible inside parts of the heating system and the air filter, cleaning the air conditioner part of the heating and air system is substantially more difficult. Many people also forget that cleaning the ducts is also challenging, with a large number of internal folds that make just running your vacuum through it nowhere near good enough.
Beyond Cleaning
Naturally, cleaning your heating and air system is not enough to keep it in good working order. Ensuring that there are no damaged, corroded, bent or otherwise non-functional parts is also essential. Checking this every season is a wise move, both before it gets super hot and before it gets super cold. While most people focus on either the “oh crap” moments when the system shuts off entirely or on the pre-season, there is actually an extra time your home heating and air system can use some attention — during the season. When you have your heating and air units checked amid the season itself, you can be assured that they are working well and not being prematurely damaged by small but persistent forces.
Warranty Work
One of the parts of many people’s home heating and air systems that they never think much about is that there is a warranty in many cases. Particularly if your system is under 5 years old, having fans replaced pre-emptively when there are only slight signs of wear can be a useful way to save some money down the road. While you might feel like this is frivolous, think of the work you’re getting done now as saving you more money down the road. This is a bit like having a cavity drilled and filled first thing, when the x-ray catches it instead of when it starts to hurt. You can get ahead of the problem and solve it before there really is a big problem. In cases where your system is still under warranty but just barely, having it serviced each season can spot a problem that won’t be a real issue for years, but can still save you money moving forward along with giving you some peace of mind.
Not Just Your System Itself
In a lot of cases, your heating and air system itself may not be the sole culprit if there are issues. Just like you clean your gutters at least a couple of times a year to keep down leakage and avoid rotting, you need to ensure that you’re not expecting your heating and air units to be all that keeps your home warm. Have you checked your insulation lately? Getting an energy audit or simply having an expert do a walk-through of your home can show you a lot of uncomfortable things that you would still be wise to get on top of.
Getting Help When You Need It
Tending to your own heating and air system is not a good idea. It’s potentially very dangerous, and actually illegal most places. Contact us and we’ll handle the small problems before they get big, or even the big problems before you find yourself boiling or freezing.