The Role of Preventive Maintenance in Long-Term HVAC Quality

Like many other major areas in daily life, home HVAC quality is an area that often comes back to solid preventive maintenance. Rather than waiting for major issues to take place, costing you significant money and hassle, taking steps to prepare yourself in advance and guard against these issues before they happen is the name of the game.

At My Buddy the Plumber, we’re here to help with this pursuit. We offer a variety of preventive HVAC services, from general furnace repair and inspections to similar services throughout your home. In coordination with our team of HVAC technicians, here are several preventive areas we recommend keeping an eye on to maintain an efficient, effective HVAC system throughout the year.

Keep an Eye (And an Ear) Out

The simplest area of general HVAC maintenance involves just looking and listening to the system whenever you have a chance. In particular, noises are often a major signal of issues taking place in the system – things like rattling, grinding, thumping or buzzing could all indicate there’s a problem of some kind, informing you of the need to either investigate further or call our team to assist you.

In addition, it’s important to pay attention to any noticeable temperature performance concerns. Have you noticed particular hot or cold spots in the home, for instance? What about a thermostat that displays one temperature setting but can’t ever seem to reach it? If you notice this or issues like puddling around your indoor unit, it’s time to take a deeper look.

Cleaning Areas

There are a couple basic cleaning tasks to attend to regularly:

• Vents: Using a simple vacuum attachment or even just a dusting wand, clean the accessible areas of you vents regularly to stop dust and dirt buildups or any other airflow blockages. If you are doing this and still notice weak airflow, call our team for additional solutions.
• Outdoor unit: Don’t forget about the outdoor AC unit, which needs regular cleaning as well. Make sure items like twigs, branches and leaves are kept away from it to prevent fire risks and also leave space open for the unit to breathe.

Filter Cycling

Depending on the type of air filer you use, it needs to be replaced somewhere between every one and three months. This is also impacted by how many people you have in the home and whether you have pets – both these factors could increase the frequency with which this is needed. Not only will filters keep your air quality high, they will prevent stress on several additional components.

Professional Maintenance

Finally, schedule and attend to regular professional maintenance on your system, from basic inspections to minor repairs when needed. Annual maintenance includes a full rundown of your system, plus inspecting your ducts and vents in areas you might not be able to access on your own. We’ll ensure your entire system is functioning optimally, plus make any small tweaks necessary here.

For more on the value of preventive HVAC maintenance, or to learn about any of our plumbing or heating and air services, speak to the staff at My Buddy the Plumber today.