Annual HVAC Maintenanc Checklist

With countless responsibilities needing your attention – kids, work, family obligations, home improvements, and more – keeping your HVAC system in tip-top shape probably doesn’t feel like the highest priority. However, HVAC maintenance doesn’t have to be hard if you have a checklist! It’ll keep you on track and organized, plus there’s nothing like the feeling of crossing off to-dos! Here are a few guidelines that are important for the health of your HVAC system and your family.

Check Up on Your Air Filters

One of the easiest and most important things you can do to maintain your HVAC system is to get your air filter replaced every three months. If you go too long in between filter swaps, several complications can creep up on you, including:

• Your system has to work harder to push air out into your home, putting unnecessary strain on it
• Certain areas in your home may not get the airflow they usually would
• Wasted energy can raise the cost of your heating or cooling bill
• Your unit has a higher chance of overheating or freezing up
• The excess debris on the air filter provides an environment for things like mold and bacteria to grow (no, thank you!)

It’s certainly not worth it to skip the task of changing out your air filter – one, because it’s fast and easy, and two because it’s a great line of defense against costly issues. A general rule of thumb is to change your filter every 90 days; you may want to consider doing it every one to two months if your home accumulates a lot of pet hair or your air filter is filling up with debris early in the 90-day period. When in doubt, one of our [company_name] Mom-Approved technicians can give you the guidance you need!

Prepare For Changing Seasons

As the days get warmer or cooler, remember to switch your thermostat to heat or cool mode. But be sure to test out each one before you really need it. For instance, you might start using your cool setting sometime in April or May, but it’s a good idea to kick it on in late March to make sure it’s working properly. That way, if your system is having trouble, you’ll have time to call a trusted professional (us, we hope!) to take a look and get it working for the summer’s highest temperatures. A quick tip: Because you might already be wondering how you’ll remember to do everything on this checklist regularly, keep in mind that recurring calendar events are lifesavers! Whether you use a shared online calendar with your spouse or you keep your entire life on your phone calendar, these tasks can fit perfectly with your other reminders.

Work Smarter, Not Harder, With Home Registers

You may notice at times (especially during the coldest and warmest periods of the year) that certain rooms feel cooler or warmer than others throughout your home. This is nothing unusual because it’s quite tricky to make sure every single room is the exact same temperature at all times, depending on a few different factors. A trick you can use to have a bit more control over it is to close one or two registers, which are the openings where the air is delivered to each room. Air registers are the grates or vents you see over the hole in the wall where your air flows through. As far as placement, this can be the floor or the ceiling where the air duct enters the room. The main function of an HVAC register is to supply air.Let’s say you have a room in your house that doesn’t get much sun exposure and always feels cooler than some other rooms during summer; you don’t need cool air going into that room on full blast as you do in other areas, so you might close the register in order to direct air to the rooms that do need it. If you’ve never adjusted a register before, there should be a lever on one side that you can pull up or down to open or close it.While it can be very helpful to close a couple of registers, remember not to overdo it. If you close too many of them, it can make for a less efficient unit and degrade its lifespan.

Get Your Home’s Humidity Levels Just Right

Excessive humidity in your home can keep your HVAC system from working to its fullest potential. It can also lead to the following:

• Bad odors
• Mold
• Mildew
• Damage to paint, wallpaper or furniture

All in all, nothing you want to deal with! While your comfort level alone would probably tell you if something is off, you can measure the humidity in your home using a hygrometer. The range to aim for is 30% to 50% humidity. Anything less is too dry, and anything more is too moist. If you live in a particularly damp area and your home is consistently too humid, a dehumidifier would be a great investment and would help you avoid the issues listed above. Another tip is to turn the water supply off to your furnace humidifier during the summer.

Keep Outdoor Units Tidy

It’s easy to forget about your HVAC system when part of it might be outside! Every now and then, head out there to make sure there’s no debris getting in the way of the unit. A debris build-up can get inside the HVAC system and impact the airflow, keeping it from functioning properly. Plus, your energy bill could go up because your system is working twice as hard.You don’t have to go over the top with cleaning up around it– just clear any twigs, leaves, or other debris from the area and make sure nothing is blocking airflow, like thick plants or bushes.

Rely on a Mom-Approved Professional!

While the points we discussed above will be great for the life of your system, there’s nothing like annual professional maintenance. Most HVAC contractors will have an option for a recurring maintenance plan (usually referred to as a “tune-up”), so you can keep your system running strong all year. Other companies might only check your cooling or heating system, but not both. They may also not even clean your system thoroughly during the tune-up! That’s not how we do things here at [company_name]. We’re the only HVAC company in Ventura County with a 52-point precision tune-up and cleaning that takes into account a home’s complete HVAC system. That’s something any mom or homeowner can stand by!

Mom-Approved HVAC Experts in Camarillo

Homeowners in Camarillo and Ventura County can count on a trusted opinion from [company_name] – a family-run, Mom-Approved team of experts. We’ll never try to pressure you with products or services you don’t need because we always put honesty, integrity, and client relationships first. Whether you need a basic HVAC tune-up or have questions about your home’s air quality, we have the expertise you need without the pushy sales agenda you dread. Call or schedule your service with our Mom-Approved experts today!