It’s important to protect your heating and cooling system by making sure to have regular maintenance checkups. You would not want the cooling system to stop working on you in a heat wave or your heating system to fail on a cold winter’s night. Preventative heating and cooling system maintenance will ensure that these don’t happen to you.
HOW OFTEN DO YOU NEED MAINTENANCE?
Pre-season maintenance is important to keep your heating and cooling system working in optimal condition. It’s best to get it checked bi-annually and talk to your dealer about your annual maintenance or service agreement because they will usually give you priority service if you have that agreement with them. Having this service done will save you money by extending the units life.
FILTERS
To ensure that your air conditioner keeps working efficiently you should always remember to change or clean your filters. Filters attract dirt and can easily get clogged up meaning that the airflow will be less and cause you system to not work as well as it should. There are different types of filters that vary from efficiency. If yours are the reusable kind be sure to give them a good cleaning before putting them back.
OUTDOOR UNIT
When having your outdoor unit checked there a few things they will have to look at. This includes inspecting for proper refrigerant levels, base pan for obstructions, coil, fan motor and blades, control box as well as the compressor and associated tubing for any damage. They should also clean any debris and leaves that may be clogging the cabinet.
INDOOR UNIT
If your unit is and indoor one they should check and clean the blower assembly and inspect the fan belt, combustion blower housing for debris, evaporator coil, gas leaks, ignition system as well as the control box and the heat exchanger.
There are also many things that you yourself can do to maintain that your cooling and heating system work to keep you feeling comfortable.
COOLING SYSTEMS
- SET YOUR THERMOSTAT AT A HIGH COMFORTABLE LEVEL
- BE SURE TO DRAW YOUR BLINDS AND DRAPES TO BLOCK THE HEAT FROM THE SUN
- IF YOU HAVE AN ATTIC CHECK AND MAKE SURE IT IS WELL VENTILATED TO RELIEVE HEAT BUILD UP.
- IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON BUILDING A NEW HOUSE, BUY LIGHT COLORED SHINGLES TO REFLECT THE SUNS HEAT
- DON’T PLACE ANYTHING THAT HEATS UP UNDER YOUR THERMOSTAT (LAMPS, TV) AS IT MAY CAUSE IT TO OVERCOOL YOUR HOME.
- TO BLOCK OUT THE SUNS LIGHT YOU SHOULD INSTALL AWNINGS RIGHT ABOUVE YOUR WINDOWS.
HEATING SYSTEM
- SET YOUR THERMOSTAT AT A LOW COMFORTABLE HEAT.
- IF YOU HAVE GUESTS COMING OVER YOU CAN TURN YOUR HEAT DOWN BECAUSE PEOPLE.
GENERATE HEAT.
- IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE YOUR HOUSE IS WELL INSULATED.
- INSTALL STORM DOORS AT ALL THE ENTRANCES.
- KEEP YOU WINDOWS SHUT TIGHTLY.
- ENSURE THAT YOUR FIREPLACE HAS A TIGHT FITTING DAMPER THAT YOU CAN CLOSE WHEN NOT IN USE.