The Washington, MO spring is at our doorstep, and with it will come rising temperatures, pollen-filled air, and, most likely, lots of demand on your HVAC unit. To keep your household comfortable through the spring and summer, you’re going to need your cooling system to be healthy and strong. You can’t count on that happening automatically, though; especially not if you’re running the system frequently. Over-usage of your HVAC unit can result in malfunctions, breakdowns, and sky-high monthly electricity bills. However, if you take steps now to make sure that your system is prepared for the changing season, you should be able to avoid any major issues.
1. Get Your Ducts Cleaned
If you want your HVAC unit to remain healthy and efficient throughout the next few months, you’ll certainly need clean air ducts. Your home’s ductwork serves as the means for your HVAC unit to circulate conditioned air around the household. However, even if you keep a clean house, particles of dust, dirt, dander, pollen, and maybe even mold will gradually accumulate inside of the ducts.
As more and more contaminants build up, it becomes harder and harder for your HVAC system to do its job. In some cases, the ducts will even become obstructed, leading to uneven temperatures and extreme stress on your appliances. Additionally, the quality of the air you breathe will deteriorate, and you’ll see your monthly energy costs rise.
A professional duct cleaning will clear out all of the contaminant particles from the interior of your air ducts. Plus, the cleaning process will reveal any leaks or damage being harbored by the ducts, which will present many problems this spring if not repaired promptly. You’d be wise to schedule a duct cleaning appointment each year, and the beginning of spring is an excellent time to get it taken care of.
2. Preventative HVAC Maintenance
During the chilly Missouri winter, you’ve most likely been relying heavily on your HVAC unit to keep your home warm. If that’s the case, then your system has probably accumulated quite a bit of wear and tear. Before you start adding more mileage to the unit to keep you cool during the spring and summer, you’d be wise to invest in a professional system tune-up.
At Level 9 Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing, our trained HVAC technicians can handle your tune-up for you. They’ll clean all of the dust, dirt, and debris out of your HVAC unit, which will allow it to circulate cool air more smoothly and efficiently. They’ll also look the system over carefully for any signs of a current or an imminent problem. If any component is close to wearing out or there’s any indicator of an upcoming mechanical failure, they’ll diagnose it accurately. By investing in a simple fix or preventative measure, you can most likely save yourself money and avoid some hassle down the road. Plus, you’ll rest easy knowing that your HVAC unit won’t break down while it’s scorching hot outside.
3. Purchase an Air Purifier
One of the most obvious signs of spring’s arrival is all of the pollen floating around the air. In addition to the unpleasant allergy symptoms it can cause, all that pollen can also make life harder for your HVAC unit. The abundance of airborne contaminants means that your home’s HVAC air filters will be working overtime, and that means they’ll become clogged much quicker than they normally would. Clogged air filters will be detrimental to your cooling system’s efficiency, performance, and health.
Air purifiers, which are very affordable, can make a huge dent in the amount of pollen and other contaminants floating around your household. They’ll automatically trap a high percentage of them before they can get cycled into the workings of your HVAC unit. If you have a large, open home, don’t hesitate to install several of these purifiers spread throughout the different sections of the house.
4. Clean All of Your Vents
Having dirty or obstructed air vents can turn into a big problem as the weather heats up this spring. All of the air your HVAC unit circulates must pass through a vent to reach your living area, so if they’re packed with contaminants, much of that air will be blocked. Your AC unit will struggle to keep you cool, and many of those contaminants will inevitably end up in the air you’re breathing.
First and foremost, double-check that nothing is obstructing your vents, such as a couch or random clutter sitting in front of them. You’d be surprised at how often this happens. Once you’ve verified that their pathways are clear, remove each vent’s protective panel and clean them out with a vacuum cleaner hose extension. Ideally, you should perform this task every month throughout the spring and summer months.
5. Search for Household Air Leaks
You can do your HVAC unit a major favor this spring by eliminating any household air leaks. If you allow large quantities of conditioned air to escape while the weather is hot outside, your cooling system will have to strain itself excessively to keep your home’s climate in check. That will impact your energy bills as well as the overall health of your HVAC unit. To find those leaks, you’ll want to carefully inspect the edges around every window and doorway in your house. Remember, leaks don’t need to be large to cause problems. No matter how small the openings are, you should seal any that you find with caulk and weather stripping, which you can find for a low price from any hardware store.
6. Switch Out Your HVAC Air Filters
Replacing your home’s air filters should be a regular part of your household upkeep routine. During spring, it’s especially important that you stay on top of this task. Your HVAC filters have likely trapped many contaminant particles over the last few chilly months, which means they’re badly in need of being replaced. If you neglect them, your HVAC unit won’t be able to circulate air efficiently as the weather heats up going forward. The system will need to increase its air pressure just to keep you comfortable, which will waste electricity and make a system breakdown or malfunction far more likely. Plus, the filters won’t have any room for all of the pollen that’s floating around. If you suffer from allergy symptoms, it can quickly turn into an unpleasant situation.
Replace your air filters now, before you begin relying heavily on your cooling system. If you have pleated filters, replace them at least once every three months going forward. If they’re fiberglass filters, don’t wait longer than a month.
Since we were founded in 1975, we at Level 9 Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing have provided top-notch heating, cooling, indoor air quality, and geothermal services to the greater Washington area. Our company’s core values are centered around what we believe to be most important: trustworthy character and high-quality work that you can rely on. We offer our customers 24/7 emergency repair service, financing on approved credit, and free estimates for every job. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
