Heating and Air – Maintaining Your System

When it comes to being at home all you want to do is be comfortable. It’s hard to be able to relax if you are hot or cold so you probably have a central heating and air unit. Repairing these units can be costly especially if you have to do a full replacement of the unit. Maintaining your unit is a simple process that can actually help you find problems before they become catastrophic issues. These are simple steps you can take to diagnose early so you can avoid the excess charges and being without the comforts.

First thing you should do for your heat and air units is clean them. It sounds so obvious but many people don’t bother making sure their equipment is clean prior to using it. They simply throw the switch and expect it to work.

Going out and making sure the furnace is free of dust and the AC is free of grass is a great start to maintaining your system. If you are planning on cleaning your AC unit do not simply turn the hose on it, you could put yourself at risk for electric shock. If you are unsure of a safe way to clean either component, call a service provider to come out and clean them for you.

The filter is another commonly over looked way to maintain your heat and air system. A dirty filter will actually cause the unit to work harder. This can cause the unit to overheat or give out earlier than it would have. Filters are simple to change and are relatively cheap to purchase. All you have to do is remove the old filter and slide the new one into place. It’s that simple. By changing your filter once a month or once every three months (depending on the filter) you can actually prolong the life of your system.

A visual inspection of your heat and air unit can tell a lot. By going out and looking over your system prior to starting it up you may be able to spot potential issues. If you see wiring that looks burnt or corroded stop, don’t start the system up just yet. If you are handy with electrical equipment you could investigate the cause further.

Most of us, however, will need to call a service technician to come out and locate the cause of the burnt or corroded wiring. If you cannot see the wiring for some of the components, don’t take apart your system. Look over what you can and make sure the system is cleaned up and free from obstruction before starting it up.

Once you’ve done your basic maintenance on your heat and air system be sure to start it up for a test run. You don’t want to wait until it’s 90 degrees outside to make sure that your AC is working like it should, same for the furnace. In the spring give the AC a test run and in the fall do the same for the furnace. This will give you the heads up you need for whether or not you have an issue that needs to be addressed. Taking care of your equipment will help you keep it working longer.