Residential HVAC Maintenance You Should Be Performing

Your HVAC system consists of your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. These systems are responsible for cleaning the air in your home, giving you heat whenever necessary and cooling your home during the hotter months. If you aren't maintaining your system, the air in your home may not be as clean as it could be, which can hinder your ability to breathe and could cause issues for those with breathing problems in your household. An improperly maintained system can also cause issues for you including the breakdown of these systems long before their lifetime. Read below for some maintenance tasks you should be performing on these systems in your home.

Cleaning Your Vents

The vents throughout your home need to be cleaned out in order to prevent dust and dander from being spread around your home. Clean these vents and remove anything that may be blocking them that may prevent the flow of air throughout your home. If your home isn't getting a sufficient amount of airflow, it could be because something is blocking these vents around your home. Remove furniture and other things that may be blocking these vents. Vacuum out the vents as well, and do this at least a few times per year. At least once per year, you should have your ventilation system and air ducts cleaned by a professional company.

Cleaning Your Units

Your heating and air conditioning units should both be cleaned out as well throughout the year. Your units can accumulate dust, dander, and other debris, especially the exterior condensing unit. This unit should be cleaned with a garden hose to remove debris that is stuck to the fins of the unit and may be blocking the flow of air to your unit and to your home. The interior unit — your furnace — should be cleaned out with a shop vacuum extension hose, getting rid of the dust and debris that may be stuck inside and collecting throughout the year. Clean this system carefully to prevent damaging any of the moving parts inside.

Changing Your Air Filter

Your air filter is going to need to be changed several times throughout the year. This air filter is responsible for trapping dust particles to prevent them from getting blown throughout your home. The air filter is easy to remove and replace, although it is usually forgotten. When it accumulates too much debris and dust, it can cause problems for your HVAC systems and could result in a breakdown.

If you aren't maintaining your HVAC systems, you are going to end up with problems with these systems long before their lifetime is up. Hire a professional HVAC contractor to perform the necessary routine maintenance on these systems.