With so many personal and family activities, it’s easy to overlook the silent champion that keeps your home’s atmosphere comfortable throughout the year: your HVAC unit. Many homeowners think of maintenance and inspection when their HVAC units stop functioning properly. At this point, it might be too late to salvage a situation, but that depends on the magnitude of the problem and your level of preparedness to maintain the unit yourself.
Not every HVAC problem needs the attention of a professional, as you can solve some minor issues, leaving the complex ones to the experts. Let’s look at four simple DIY HVAC maintenance tips to keep your unit running seamlessly and save money.
Regularly Check and Change Your Air Filters
Even the perfect AC unit will suffer a clogged air filter at one point because of continued use. Checking and cleaning your unit’s filters regularly can help save you from frequent replacements, which is more costly than cleaning the filters. Air filters are crucial in maintaining indoor air quality and ensuring your unit runs efficiently. With continued use, they accumulate dust, debris, and pollen, forcing the system to overwork and consume more energy.
During a check, you can determine whether the filters only need cleaning or if it’s time to replace them. You can check the filters once every one to three months or more frequently if you live in a more dusty neighborhood.
Inspect and Clean the Outdoor Unit
Your system’s outdoor unit is the first line of defence against all attacks, including fallen leaves, twigs, grass, and debris. If left unchecked for a long time, the incessant hits can damage the outdoor unit, which might lead to you replacing your unit sooner than you planned. Inspecting and cleaning the unit is a quick and easy procedure for any savvy homeowner.
To start the process, switch off the unit and remove its fan grill for a safer, more spacious cleaning. Turn on your vacuum cleaner to clean out the debris, twigs, and leaves accumulated in your unit. For deeper cleaning, you can use the right vacuum hose attachment to reach the hard-to-access areas in the unit. Once you’re done, clear out any shrubs, grass, or tree branches growing closer than two feet of the unit.
Check and Clean Condenser Coils and Evaporator
Condenser coils and the evaporator are crucial for ensuring effective heat exchange. If they accumulate dirt and grime for a long time without getting cleaned, your unit’s heat exchange will be hindered. Regularly checking and cleaning can help improve your unit’s efficiency and minimize energy consumption.
Simply clean the coils with a soft brush or a coil-cleaning spray while avoiding bending the fins.
Listen for Unusual Noises
As the person on the ground, you’re best placed to detect unusual sounds like banging, grinding, and squealing. Before calling a professional, you can find the source of the sound and might be able to fix it yourself. For instance, a banging sound could indicate loose or broken parts that you can easily replace or tighten on your own. Call a technician if the problem causing the noise is too complex and risky for you to fix.
Learning HVAC DIY maintenance tips is crucial for handling emergency breakdowns and saving energy and maintenance costs. By implementing these tips, you can confidently approach your maintenance journey, knowing the power is in your hands.
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