Want to Prevent Costly HVAC Repairs? Here are Monthly Maintenance Tips to Try

Anyone that lives in Minnesota knows that we get the full cycle of seasons throughout the year. Blazing summers have us rely on air conditioners to keep us comfortable at home, but in the winter, we’re really happy to have that furnace keeping us warm during cold nights.

Your HVAC system is an important part of the comfort you enjoy in your home all year round. But you have to expect that something that works so hard throughout the year, every year, isn’t going to run perfectly if you neglect it.

However, a few easy tips for maintenance can help you enjoy years of reliability from your HVAC system. Here’s how.

Make Sure You Replace Your Filter

When you have a furnace and air conditioner that both rely on a centralized ventilation source, the filter of the system is going to see a lot usage.

Under normal circumstances, for the average household, it’s recommended you replace your filter with a new one every season or three months.

Depending on the kind of home life you have, you might want to do this more frequently.

Smokers that smoke indoors, or people that have a lot of pets in the home, are adding extra particles and contaminants to the home that go through a filter faster than households without these lifestyle choices.

Check your filters periodically to see how they look. Keep a stack handy somewhere in the home to replace throughout the year.

Inspect & Clear Outdoor Fixtures

Newer furnaces, like air conditioners, have air intakes as well as pipes or vents that are important for removing waste from the high-efficiency heating process, such as water or steam.

It’s important to make sure that these additions get the air flow they need, so checking them to make sure they’re blocked is important.

The same is true for your air conditioner and the big condenser unit that is now a familiar sight for homes that have central air.

That condenser also needs to have unobstructed air flow to ensure that cooling is happening efficiently.

Clear out leaves and other debris to make sure this is happening.

Tuned Up Your System Annually

While there are things you can do to ensure smooth operation, as with a car, there are things an expert can also do on an annual basis to make sure that another year of reliable environmental control continues.

Bring in a professional to do this for you.

The annual tune-up can take care of a lot of things, such as checking the coolant in an air conditioner and replenishing it if it’s getting low.

Tune ups can even clean out the ventilation to make sure air is circulating properly throughout your home.

These extra maintenance steps can save you a lot of money later by preventing small problems from turning into big ones.