Are you searching for a cost-effective solution to achieve efficient cooling while enhancing the lifespan of your HVAC system?
If your answer is yes and you want to evade the HVAC maintenance costs, you must learn to take care of your HVAC system yourself. While it doesn’t exempt you from the annual maintenance, this approach enhances system performance and efficiency, protecting it from daily wear and tear.
Although occasional issues may arise at times, maintenance dramatically reduces the chances of expensive repairs. HVAC problems come with hefty repair and replacement costs. So, keeping an eye on our heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system is key to keeping it in top shape and avoiding those expensive breakdowns down the road.
Learning the HVAC maintenance and troubleshooting tips is a great way to get efficient cooling, stave off high repair and replacement costs, save on energy bills, and increase the life of your HVAC system. If you don’t want to take the hassle, contact Surrey Air, the HVAC professional in Melbourne, for assistance.
But, if you want to do it yourself, here are some of the best HVAC maintenance and troubleshooting tips every homeowner with an HVAC system should know.
So, let’s get started.
The HVAC Maintenance Tips
Schedule Professional HVAC Maintenance at least once A Year
Professional HVAC maintenance is necessary to maintain the system’s efficiency and performance. No matter how much you take care of your system all through the year, getting a once-a-year professional HVAC maintenance cleans the system thoroughly and resolves underlying problems that lead to frequent breakdowns and costly repairs and replacements.
Professional HVAC maintenance includes comprehensive services, such as indoor and outdoor unit services, electrical and ductwork inspection and other details. Click here to learn more about professional HVAC maintenance.
Educate Yourself On The HVAC System
Homeowners must know all the necessary details about their HVAC system. You must know the system’s specifications, load capacity, furnace type, compressor, expansion valve, blower and motor, thermal units, exhaust, location of vents, and ductwork.
Knowing your system’s details will help you better understand the problem, troubleshoot it, and perform maintenance efficiently.
Keep The Filters Clean
Dusty, dirty filters can’t perform their function well. They affect the indoor air quality and stress out the HVAC system. Cleaning or replacing the filters is one of the most manageable steps in HVAC maintenance that you can perform without needing a professional.
Depending on your usage, you can clean the filters every 2-3 months and enjoy improved air quality, a better-performing HVAC system and lower energy bills without any hassle.
Perform A Visual Examination of Your HVAC System
Visual examination tells you about the physical condition of your HVAC system. It lets you see any visible breaks in the unit, ductwork or electricity wires and fix them before they cause a significant problem, thus increasing the system’s longevity.
During the visual examination, you’ll clear away the dust and debris, creating a precise, dust-free surrounding for the system’s components.
Frequent visual examination positively impacts the HVAC system’s overall look, performance and life.
Keep The Vents And Registers Clear
Vents and registers are essential to maintain the HVAC system’s airflow. They play an important role in maintaining indoor temperature and air quality. Blocked vents and registers compromise the comfort and air quality and stress the HVAC system.
Maintaining them is easy and requires removing dust and debris using a bristled brush or soapy water after unscrewing them from their place. Furthermore, you can also clean the ducts using the high-pressure vacuum pump.
It’s also necessary to keep vents and registers unblocked from furniture or heavy objects so air can flow smoothly.
Take Care Of The Outdoor Unit
An outdoor unit is the central functional unit of an HVAC system. Protecting it from weather extremes and dust ensures its safety and increases its life. Covering the outdoor unit with a shade protects it from rain, wind and scorching summer heat.
Moreover, you should keep the outdoor unit’s surroundings clean and debris-free. Debris can enter the outdoor unit and cause blockage of the internal components.
Clean The Indoor Unit
Like the outdoor unit, the indoor unit also requires cleaning. It’s important to dust off the dirt and debris from outside and open spaces without disturbing the electrical work and internal components.
Maintain And Clean The Evaporator Coil
The evaporator coil is one of the most essential components of the indoor unit. It‘s filled with refrigerant, which performs the function of exchanging hot air with cold air. The HVAC system can’t maintain its performance if the evaporator coil isn’t working correctly.
Your HVAC maintenance should include maintaining and cleaning the evaporator coil. Steps must include cleaning mineral deposits, draining and checking the refrigerant levels. If refrigerant levels are low, call a professional to fix them.
Check And Clean The Condensate Drain Line
Clogged condensate drain lines cause water backup and moisture problems in the HVAC system. Unscrew the cap of the drain lines to remove the water and clean it with a mild acidic liquid to push the debris out of the drain lines.
Lubricate Where Necessary
The moving parts of the compressor in the HVAC system face friction and heating issues. They are detrimental to the system’s health. Lubricating the compressor parts, such as valves, bearings, pistons, screw gears, etc., will reduce friction and heating issues. It will also reduce the rattling noises and increase the system’s efficiency.
Strictly Regulate The Indoor Temperature
Always set your HVAC system on the recommended settings. Setting the temperature below 20 Celsius for the indoor temperature is not recommended to obtain extra cooling. Low temperatures make the HVAC system inoperable until it stops and defrosts. Using HVAC below the recommended temperature settings causes problems for the HVAC system and affects its lifespan.
Keep Your Home Well Insulated
Home insulation is vital for temperature maintenance and lessens the burden of the HVAC system. With adequate insulation of the ductwork, doors, and windows, prevents conditioned air from escaping, ensuring that the temperature is maintained for an extended period.
Install Programmable Thermostats
The convenient and automated programming capability of programmable thermostats makes HVAC operation more straightforward and manageable. The thermostat regulates the temperature and on and off timings, lessening the burden of an HVAC system.
Furthermore, programmable thermostats reduce maintenance requirements, save energy, improve performance, and bring savings on utility bills.
Maintain The Carbon Monoxide Detector
Carbon monoxide detectors are more common in commercial settings, but using them at home can add safety for the residents. These detectors detect the level of carbon monoxide in the space. Rising levels indicate that HVAC is malfunctioning and the indoor air quality is compromised. In this way, the carbon monoxide detector can help maintain HVAC and secure residents.
Evaluate The HVAC System Performance And Energy Bills
If your HVAC isn’t performing like it used to be or there is an increase in the energy bills, it indicates the requirement for HVAC maintenance. Troubleshoot the system to find the problem or call a professional for help.
The HVAC Troubleshooting Tips
Ranging from simple to complex, HVAC can face many problems. You can resolve some of the problems your HVAC system may face. If basic troubleshooting doesn’t resolve the issue, call professional service providers for help.
Observe The System’s Behavior
HVAC’s behavior tells a lot about the underlying issue. If indoor air is dirty or smelly, or your HVAC systems turn on and off too frequently, they indicate mold, mildew or fungal growth, dead rodents or critters, or short cycling.
Unusual cracking and popping sounds indicate ice building up or ductwork problems. You may hear some unusual squeaking, screeching, and squealing sounds if the fan isn’t working.
You can evaluate the system’s behavior to know the root problem.
Review HVAC’s Maintenance History
The HVAC system’s maintenance history contains the record of repairs and replacements. If your HVAC was repaired recently, the problem can be related to it. Reviewing the maintenance history will assist you in identifying the causes of problems.
Check The Electrical Connections
One of the common problems in the HVAC system is faulty internal and external electrical connections. Ensure your HVAC gets the required power and its circuit hasn’t tripped. Tightening the loose electrical connections also helps HVAC regain its performance efficiency.
Inspect Filters and Thermostat
Faulty filters and thermostats are the most common malfunctioning components of HVAC and cause HVAC problems.
Filters with dust, debris, or physical damage affect the efficiency of the HVAC system. Cleaning or replacing the filter is vital to restoring the performance and functionality.
Similarly, thermostats often show inaccurate temperatures, don’t run or waste more energy. These problems need simple solutions, such as calibration for program defects or replacing batteries with a newer version.
Check Airflow And Vents
Interrupted airflow and blocked vents cause inconsistent temperature maintenance and pressure imbalances for the HVAC system. As a result, there is decreased airflow, increased energy consumption, and uneven heating and cooling. Clogged airflow and vents also cause health issues for the residents.
Clearing the blockages resolves the issues to a greater extent, helping restore thermal comfort and HVAC’s optimum performance.
Homeowners must know their HVAC system and be able to perform some of the essential maintenance and troubleshooting. Even if homeowners perform maintenance on their own, it’s recommended that they schedule yearly HVAC maintenance by professional service providers. Similarly, if there are problems with an HVAC system that don’t go away with basic troubleshooting, it is recommended to call a professional and not try to repair it themselves.
Self-repairing can cause more harm to the HVAC system and may lead to disqualification from the warranty and services offered by the HVAC brand.
Surrey Air is one of Melbourne’s most reliable and experienced HVAC service providers. Our licensed technicians have expertise in HVAC maintenance and troubleshooting. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you’re experiencing issues with your HVAC system or if you require annual maintenance services. Give us a call, and we’ll be happy to assist you.
Conclusion
Every HVAC system requires maintenance and troubleshooting when it faces any issue. Homeowners should know the basic HVAC maintenance tips to maintain their system’s performance and increase its lifespan. It’s also handy to know a few tricks to figure out what’s up when things go south. However, HVAC systems are complex, so when things get tricky, it’s smart to call in the certified HVAC pros for the heavy lifting of repairs and replacements.
