If you want to enjoy the comfort of your house at all times, then you need to observe its proper and regular maintenance. Every home needs care and attention—without it, your house will surely fail on you.
As a homeowner, you should familiarize yourself with all systems and appliances in your house, including when you need to schedule them for checkup and maintenance. One of the most crucial things to take care of, especially for the upcoming springtime, is your house’s HVAC system.
Spring Maintenance for HVAC Systems
Your HVAC unit is responsible for your house’s heating and cooling—and it plays an essential role no matter what time of the year it is! However, paying attention to it during the spring gives you enough time to prepare the system for its upcoming hard work in summer. As such, performing spring maintenance for your HVAC system is best, as it would give your home cleaner air and guarantee that it would work efficiently come summertime!
Spring HVAC Checklist: What You Need to Do
The great thing about HVAC systems is that most of the basic maintenance steps are ones you can do on your own! To give you an idea, here are some of the little things you can perform to ensure that your HVAC system is in its best condition at all times:
-
Make Sure the Surroundings of Your Condenser Unit are Clean
The part of your HVAC unit placed outside your home is what you call the condenser unit. It is responsible for absorbing heat from inside your home and then releasing it outdoors. Usually, the condenser unit becomes the home for collected outdoor debris, such as dirt, fallen leaves, and grass clippings. You must ensure that there is no debris found in the base of your condenser to keep it running properly!
Allowing all the dirt to stay right next to your condenser would only give your unit functional problems later. As such, make sure that you clear off trash and debris buildup from its surroundings. If you have grass around your unit, then trim them immediately and not let them reach your condenser. Make sure to take away branches and dirt collected around the unit. If you have plants or bushes growing near it, consider cutting them back to prevent future problems!
-
If You Notice Dirt Buildup in Your Condenser, It Is Time to Clean the Unit
Another task you can do on your own is cleaning the condenser unit. However, you must be careful when doing this job. Here are some things you need to do:
- Turn off the thermostat.
- Look for the switch of your air conditioner and make sure that it is switched off.
- Wear gloves and remove any visible debris in the unit.
- Using a gentle vacuum with a soft brush attachment, start vacuuming the condenser fin. Do it as light as you can to not bend any fins.
- You can use a water hose spray to clear off the debris from the outside unit.
- After spraying it with water, spray it with the coil cleaner and wait for 10 to 15 minutes until the coil fully absorbs the cleaner foams.
- Clean it off with water from the hose.
-
Allot Some Time to Inspect and Straighten the Fins
The condenser fins are the thin metal slats that you would see on the condenser unit’s exterior. These fins assist heat in dispersing away from the air conditioner. Since they are thin, they can easily get damaged—and when they do, they could negatively affect your unit’s performance.
A bent or clogged condenser fins can restrict the airflow in the unit, which can result in the system’s decreased efficiency. You can use a fin comb and carefully move it upward to straighten and fix these fins.
-
Make Sure That the Condenser Unit Is Always Leveled
Next, check if your condenser unit is level. Your condenser unit contains oil in its compressor, and this is important as it is specifically for the oil’s benefit!
If your entire condenser unit is not level, that means that the compressor’s oil level is not balanced. In such cases, the oil and also the refrigerant could be trapped in some parts of the tubing—this setup prevents your AC equipment from proper lubrication! Refrigerants also need to flow freely through the coils without any interference. Once there are slopes, and they get trapped, they could affect the whole AC performance.
You can try to balance your sinking condenser unit using simple items like a longboard and a pack of sand.
-
Replace the Filter
Regularly changing your system’s filter is one of the best things you can do to improve your system’s performance. The longer you use your filter, the more dirt, allergens, and dust it can accumulate—and the less efficient your system would become.
Consider doing this once every three months, but the frequency may change depending on how much dirt your system gets over time. Here are the simple steps you can follow:
- Make sure that your HVAC system is turned off.
- Find where the filter is placed in your system and remove the old HVAC filter.
- Insert the new filter just like how the old one was placed. You can refer to the arrow signage on the sides of the filter. The arrow should point in the same direction as the airflow.
- Close the HVAC unit and turn it on.
Make sure to buy the same filter as what your unit uses. Take note of its brand and model number so you can easily find the right filter from your local hardware store!
-
Get Regular Annual HVAC Maintenance Service From the Professionals
Although you can do some maintenance steps on your own, you also need some expert eyes to look out for other possible problems with your HVAC system. Hiring a professional HVAC specialist would ensure that your unit is in perfect condition at all times.
Make sure to schedule an HVAC checkup at least once every year. Only a certified technician can conduct refrigerant level checks and monitor the system’s airflow and output properly. Letting them do their part would give you an idea of items you need to replace or connections and wirings that need to be tightened. They can also easily see any signs of wear and tear on the system’s key components that your unfamiliar eyes would not easily detect.
Conclusion
Whenever spring is approaching, you know that summer is just around the corner. As a homeowner, you must do your part in ensuring that your home system is well-conditioned for the coming hot summer days. Proper maintenance is always the key to the HVAC system’s best performance and long lifespan. Follow the items in this checklist to ensure that your home will be spring and summer-ready.
For your heating and cooling concerns in Kansas City, MO, contact us at Air Unlimited Heating & Cooling today! Let us help you prepare for the spring season by guaranteeing that all your units are working properly. Call us today at (816) 286-7258 to book a service!