Home AC Maintenance in San Antonio, New Braunfels, Boerne, and Surrounding Areas
Regular HVAC preventative maintenance is the best way to ensure trouble-free operation and peak performance. Pre-season maintenance is also important. It can help to avoid a system failure in severe hot or cold weather when you need it most, and it can also keep your energy bill from getting out of control.
It’s a good idea to hire an HVAC company to inspect and do maintenance on your system every fall and spring. We’ll do things like inspecting and clean the wiring and mechanisms of the unit, which is a bit more challenging for the average homeowner.
But you can prolong the life and increase the efficiency of your system if you follow this simple maintenance plan:
- Keep components clean, especially the outdoor condenser/compressor unit. Remove dirt & debris, and cut back vegetation at least two feet on all sides.
- Use a programmable thermostat. When you’re away from home or at night when sleeping, allowing the temperature to fall (in the winter) or rise (in the summer) by 10 degrees for 8 hours or more can save 5%-15% on heating and cooling costs. With a heat pump, however, only use this tip during the summer, as the heat pump’s heating cycle is more efficient when left at a steady temperature. Have your HVAC system serviced by a trained technician once a year. While there are cleaning tasks that most homeowners can accomplish, other tasks, like checking combustion in gas or oil furnaces or ensuring there are no leaks in a refrigerant line, are best left to experts. Install and maintain smoke and carbon monoxide alarms for your family’s safety in any home, regardless of whether gas or oil is used for HVAC or other purposes.
- Be sure to change your filter at least every 3 months but check it monthly. This helps the system run more efficiently. A dirty filter will cause excessive strain on your system, increase heating and cooling costs and reduce the life of your equipment. Make sure that your furnace filter has a cover over the slot, ensuring an efficient return-air system. Not having a cover also poses a safety issue.
- Make sure your unit is level. Annually, ensure that outdoor air-conditioning units and heat pumps are on firm and level ground or pads.
- Stave off clogs. Annually, pour a cup of bleach mixed with water down the air-conditioner condensate drain to prevent the buildup of mold and algae, which can cause a clog.
- Never close more than 20% of a home’s registers to avoid placing unnecessary strain on the HVAC system.