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Benefits of Routine HVAC Maintenance

You take your car to get a tune-up and an oil change every three months, your HVAC unit works the same way. It runs as well as you allow it to. The more you take care of it, the more it will be able to take care of your home. In this blog, we’ll talk about what kind of maintenance you can provide for your unit that will improve its lifespan and benefit you in the long run.

Changing Your Filters

Replacing the filters for your HVAC benefits both you and your system. Let’s get one thing straight, the true function of your filters is to filter the air from your house to your unit, not the other way around. The filters act as gatekeepers attempting to hold back the dust, dirt, and allergens from clogging your unit and eventually causing breakdowns. When your filters are neglected, the filter itself can become too overloaded with unwanted materials, making it more difficult for air to pass through it. In turn, this puts additional stress on your HVAC unit by making it work harder than it usually does, raising your energy bill.

When you become aware of your filters and begin to change them, it improves your unit. The benefits of changing your filter include reduced stress on your system, a longer-lasting system, and a lower energy bill.

Clearing Drain Lines

The drain lines for your HVAC unit act as an exit route for the moisture that has been collected from the evaporator coil. The coil turns the humidity in the air into a liquid, effectively draining it through the drain lines to be dumped outside the home. If these drainage lines are clogged during the cooling process, the coils around your unit could also become frozen.

Keeping your drain lines clear, and keeping your unit from freezing can save you from the most expensive repair that you can make to your AC. If you run your AC while the coils are frozen, it causes extensive damage to your compressor, which can only be fixed by a certified technician.

Checking Your Belts

The belts in your HVAC system have the same basic function as the belt in your car. They increase or decrease the speed of the fan, increase or decrease torque for the motor, and transfer power from one shaft to another.

When your belts start to go bad you’ll begin to hear squealing noises from when you turn on your AC. This is caused by a loose belt or even oil and water contamination. Your belt also has the ability to crack and even break if not properly taken care of.

Clean Condensor Coils

Your condenser coils work in tandem with the evaporator coils to remove heat from your home. You should clean your coils regularly, which can become time-consuming, but it has proven to increase the lifespan of the unit as a whole. Cleaning your coils is the easiest preventative maintenance method, and you can perform it on your own.

Simply remove any debris from inside the coils to keep anything from clogging the fan. Then you’ll want to straighten any bent coils with a fin comb or even a butter knife. Wet the coils and coat them with coil cleaner, and finish the process by rinsing it in water.

Taking care of these pivotal pieces of your HVAC unit can greatly improve both the lifespan and functionality of your system. If you are in need of assistance in any of these areas, TriCounty Services is here to help. All you have to do is fill out a contact form or give us a call at (805) 500-2944.

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