Heating & Cooling System Tips

June 25, 2010

Being an educated homeowner is one of the best ways to maintain value in your home and to keep your home running smoothly and efficiently, especially with regard to your heating and cooling system.  As we all know your, home is normally one of the single biggest investments you will ever make and your heating and cooling system is one of the most expensive pieces of equipment in your home, so we want to take good care of it. 

Preventative maintenance does take some time and may consume some money, but regular maintenance will help avoid major repairs, helps extend life expectancy, and can even reduce energy consumption.   Below are some good tips for your heating and cooling system:

• Clean and/or replace filters so that they will be fresh when you turn the air conditioning on for the first time this summer or your furnace in the fall.  Dirty filters not only restrict air flow, they can also contribute to equipment breakdown.
    

• One of the most important things you can do to get ready for the heavy summer workout is to clear the area around the outdoor condenser of dirt, leaves and other debris that have accumulated over the winter.  Also, periodically throughout the summer check for shrubbery growth around the outside condenser and keep it trimmed.
    

• Have your service technician drain and clean your humidifier.  You probably won’t need to run the humidifier during the humid summer months and shutting it off saves electricity, as well as wear and tear on the equipment.
    

• Check closely for air leaks in ductwork, especially at connection points.  Ductwork exposed to outside or attic air must be insulated for additional reduction of heat transfer.
    

• Central air conditioning units should be inspected, cleaned and tuned by a professional technician once a year to extend the life of the unit and cut down on energy consumption.