HVAC systems are an important part of keeping your family comfortable and your home cool. Unexpected HVAC failures or issues can cause costly, inconvenient, and even dangerous issues for your system or family. Sometimes it can be hard to know when things are going wrong with your HVAC before it gets bad, but that’s why preventative maintenance is so important. Especially in Florida, families use their HVAC systems quite a lot in the summer months, making HVAC issues even more important to avoid. All Year Cooling & Plumbing goes over how preventative maintenance can help prevent HVAC failures and keep your home cool all summer long.
What Exactly is Preventative HVAC Maintenance?
Preventative HVAC maintenance refers to maintenance that’s done before problems actually occur. This is to be proactive and prevent any problems that might cause costly repairs to your HVAC unit. These services typically can include doing a tune-up, inspection, and cleaning of the system to prevent any possible problems. The maintenance technician may also check the coils, refrigerant, filters, electrical, fans, and ductwork to ensure that everything is working properly. This kind of preventative maintenance can keep your unit running efficiently and reliably.
What Are the Common Causes of HVAC Problems?
HVAC issues can be somewhat common, especially if you are utilizing it more in the summer months, especially in Florida, where the climate is hot and humid. We’re going to give you a list of some of the common failures that are associated with HVAC units so you can have a better idea of what kind of issues you can possibly experience with yours.
Dirty or Clogged Filters: This is when dirt and dust clog up filters over time, which can restrict the airflow throughout the system and cause it to work harder or stop working completely.
Refrigerant Leaks: Refrigerant is used for cooling, and if there’s a leak, then the refrigerant can’t stay in the unit, preventing it from being able to transfer heat properly.
Thermostat Problems: If the thermostat miscommunicates or misreads the temperature, then this can lead to your system working overtime and running more, or not working at all and not turning on.
Electrical Failures: Relays, wiring, and contactors could all fail in your HVAC unit as they are huge components of the unit, which could result in it not running at all or not starting.
Frozen Coils: If coils are dirty or dusty, then airflow is restricted, which can cause the coils to freeze.
Natural Wear and Tear: If your HVAC unit is on the older side, then natural wear and tear can cause components to degrade and cause failures, decreased energy efficiency, or system breakdowns.
How Does Preventive Maintenance Help Avoid Future Problems?
Preventive maintenance helps to identify problems early, such as loose wires or low refrigerant, which, if left untreated, can cause breakdowns. It also helps to improve system efficiency by cleaning filters and coils for proper airflow, so that your system is not working on overdrive and causing more energy consumption. Maintenance protects major components like motors and compressors by instilling calibration and inspection to catch problems early. Your indoor air quality will become better as it prevents the buildup of dirt, dust, and allergens. Most importantly, it reduces emergency repairs and ensures you are less likely to experience an unexpected breakdown during the extreme heat or cold, when you need your HVAC most.
Simple Benefits of Preventive Maintenance on HVAC
We know how preventive maintenance can help to avoid future problems, but it can be beneficial for many other reasons as well when it comes to your home and the future of your system. Here’s a quick list of benefits so you understand what you’re getting out of preventive maintenance of your HVAC unit.
- Lower energy bills and less energy consumption
- Fewer repairs and little to no downtime
- Longer system lifespan
- Improved comfort and air quality
When Should You Do Preventive Maintenance on Your HVAC?
If you are living in a residential home, you should be doing preventive maintenance at least twice a year, typically in the spring and in the fall. If you are in a commercial building, then you should do it quarterly or monthly, depending on how often you use the HVAC systems. This kind of preventive maintenance can include filter changes, thermostat checks, electrical testing, coil cleaning, system calibration, and checking the refrigerant levels.
Should You Hire a HVAC Professional?
If you find that you are in need of preventive maintenance for your HVAC systems, it’s important to hire a professional. Doing this DIY style can cause a multitude of other issues if it’s not done correctly. Not only this, but things can go missed which can lead to costly repairs in the future. A professional will come in on a regular basis and check every aspect of the HVAC system to ensure it is running efficiently and it is reliable. Most importantly, they will be able to assess if there are any underlying issues that need to be diagnosed and repaired before needing emergency services, which can save you some money and a headache.
Preventive Maintenance for Your HVAC
If you have an HVCA system, whether you’re in a commercial building or if you are living in a residential home (or both), it’s important to keep up with this. HVAC emergency maintenance and repairs can be costly, difficult, and leave you without a working unit for a period of time. In the Florida climate, this is not ideal at all, and that’s why All Year Cooling & Plumbing is dedicating itself to providing you with preventive maintenance that can keep your home cool and your family comfortable.
If you think that you need preventive maintenance or just want someone to ensure all is well with your HVAC unit, contact us so we can send a professional out to your space. We are able to do testing, cleaning, and tune-ups to keep your system working efficiently and avoid having any additional problems. Although HVAC issues might be common, especially in high usage times, they are not ideal, and they can be expensive if they’re not caught in time. Keep up with your maintenance and give us a call to schedule your HVAC checkup today.