Proper HVAC preventative maintenance is crucial for the longevity and efficiency of any home HVAC system. With regular DIY or professional care, homeowners can prevent potential breakdowns, ensure optimal performance, and avoid unexpectedly high energy bills—but what are the most important steps to take?

5 Quick HVAC Tips

• Clean or change air filters every 90 days for optimal HVAC performance.
• Schedule annual professional check-ups to prevent breakdowns.
• Seal ducts and keep the unit area clean for efficiency.
• Address strange noises promptly to avoid further damage.
• Monitor energy bills for potential efficiency issues.

Why HVAC Maintenance Matters

Ongoing HVAC system maintenance is crucial for optimal performance and efficiency. Proper maintenance—such as changing filters regularly and clearing clutter around the indoor unit—can significantly improve the air quality within a space. Clean filters not only remove dust, hair, and pollutants but also allow for better airflow in the system, leading to healthier indoor air.

In addition to enhancing indoor air quality, HVAC maintenance plays a vital role in reducing energy costs. Studies show that regular HVAC maintenance can lower energy costs by up to 15% due to improved system efficiency. By conducting preventative HVAC maintenance tasks like inspecting and cleaning air filters, homeowners can ensure their air conditioning systems operate at peak efficiency, resulting in lower energy bills over time.

Furthermore, preventative maintenance is essential for the overall longevity of HVAC units. Timely tune-ups can extend the lifespan of these systems, ultimately saving homeowners from costly replacements.

By investing in regular maintenance, homeowners can avoid sudden breakdowns, expensive repairs, and emergencies, making preventative HVAC maintenance a cost-effective strategy.

DIY Maintenance Tips

Home HVAC system maintenance involves simple yet crucial do-it-yourself tasks. Changing the air filter regularly ensures optimal airflow and system efficiency, while sealing ducts, keeping the area around units clean, and using a smart thermostat are other key steps to enhance HVAC performance. Some tasks should be part of your yearly home maintenance; others need to be done more frequently.

Change the Air Filter

To ensure optimal airflow and efficiency, the rule of thumb is to clean—or change—your air filter every 90 days, or more frequently if necessary. These filters help prevent dust, hair, and pollutants from circulating in your home, ensuring cleaner air and better system efficiency. If you live in an arid, dusty climate or have pets that shed, for example, you may need to change the filters more often, since you’re likely to have more particulates floating around.

How often to change your filter can also vary depending on the type of filter you use. Fiberglass air filters are generally cheaper, but less efficient, and usually need to be replaced every 30 days or so. Pleated air filters are more expensive, but more efficient—they usually last around 90 days.

Other factors that can impact how frequently you replace your air filter include:

• Home size (larger homes circulate more air, thus more particulates)
• Air filter size (smaller filters need to be changed more often)
• Outdoor air quality (poorer quality requires more frequent changes)
• Usage (homes with pets, vacation homes used infrequently, how often you dust/clean, etc.)
• Allergies (symptoms can often be reduced by more frequent changes)
• Season (the system will trap more contaminants when you’re running heat/cooling)

Every home is different, so the best way to determine how long an HVAC filter lasts for you is to monitor it monthly and change it when it gets dirty.

Regularly inspecting and replacing the air filter is a simple yet crucial DIY maintenance task that can have a significant impact on your HVAC system's functionality. By maintaining a clean filter, you can facilitate proper airflow, reduce strain on the system, and ultimately lower energy costs.

Seal the Ducts

Another crucial DIY maintenance task to consider for your HVAC system is sealing the ducts for improved performance and energy savings. Inefficient ducts can cause an efficiency loss of 20%–30% on average, leading to higher energy bills.

To address this issue, use mastic sealant or metal tape to seal air leaks in the ductwork. Consider working with a professional contractor to insulate ducts and ensure well-sealed connections at vents and registers to further enhance the effectiveness of your HVAC system.

By properly maintaining and sealing your ducts, you can extend the lifespan of your HVAC system while enjoying the benefits of reduced energy costs and enhanced performance.

Keep the Outdoor HVAC Unit Clean

Clearing the area around outdoor HVAC units of leaves, grass, dirt, and debris is essential to prevent airflow blockages and unnecessary system strain. Maintaining a minimum of 12 inches of clearance around the outdoor unit improves efficiency and prevents overheating. Don’t forget the clearance on top of the unit! Anything above the unit can cause the hot air to circulate back down, interfering with the unit’s operation.

More space is typically better; the outdoor unit works by expelling indoor heat to outdoor air, which only works if there’s sufficient airflow. Some manufacturers recommend a minimum of two feet of clearance, rather than one.

Additionally, cleaning the condenser and evaporator coils contributes to smooth airflow and enhances overall performance. The coils collect dirt over time, both from typical use and from additional factors like lawnmowers, falling leaves, and other debris. An annual deep clean of your outdoor AC unit can be done DIY and will help your unit last longer.

By keeping the space around the units clean, homeowners can reduce the risk of system malfunctions and ensure their HVAC system operates efficiently.  Taking the time to clear the area around HVAC units on a regular basis not only prevents potential damage but also extends the system's lifespan.

Consider a Smart Thermostat

While keeping the area around HVAC units clean is crucial for optimal system performance, a smart thermostat can further enhance energy efficiency and convenience.

Smart thermostats offer an average savings of 8% on heating and cooling costs annually. These devices are a great energy-efficiency upgrade and allow remote control of temperature settings through smartphone apps, adapting to schedules for efficient use. Some models even provide energy reports to track usage and optimize efficiency.

Installing a smart thermostat is a relatively simple DIY project for many homeowners, offering not only energy savings but also added convenience to everyday life. By investing in a smart thermostat, homeowners can take a proactive step towards reducing energy consumption and enhancing the overall performance of their HVAC system.

Professional HVAC Maintenance

When it comes to maintaining HVAC systems, it’s worth scheduling annual check-ups with a professional contractor for optimal performance. Professionals can identify potential issues early on, helping to prevent costly breakdowns and extend the system's lifespan. When a full replacement of your furnace and AC unit can easily cost over $8,000, every year you can maintain your HVAC system counts.

Schedule Annual HVAC Servicing

Professional maintenance plays a vital role in extending the lifespan of HVAC systems and requires specialty training and tools. By adhering to a preventive maintenance checklist, technicians can thoroughly inspect and clean crucial components, ensuring optimal functionality. Regular servicing by professionals not only catches potential issues early but also helps in saving on costly repair expenses.

Experts recommend annual maintenance visits to keep HVAC systems in top condition, maximizing their performance and minimizing the risk of sudden failures. By investing in regular professional maintenance, homeowners can enjoy peace of mind knowing that their HVAC systems are well taken care of and operating at their best.

During an annual HVAC maintenance visit, the technician will typically:

• Check the thermostat calibration and settings
• Tighten any electrical connections that need it
• Clean and adjust the blower, belts, fins, coils, drain, and other components
• Check system controls, fuel lines, and refrigerant levels
• Replace the air filter
• Lubricate all moving parts

Hiring a residential HVAC service for an annual tune-up typically only costs between $75 and $200, depending on the contractor. HVAC maintenance and unexpected repairs may be covered in your home warranty, if you purchased one.

When to Replace Your HVAC System

Despite regular upkeep, HVAC systems will eventually reach a point where their efficiency and performance begin to decline. If your system still requires frequent repairs even after professional maintenance, that might be a sign it's time for a replacement.

A decrease in energy efficiency—coupled with rising energy bills after routine maintenance—could suggest your HVAC system is no longer operating optimally. Waiting for a complete breakdown can lead to discomfort and inconvenience, especially during peak seasons. Therefore, it's essential to be proactive and address performance issues when they happen.

By recognizing the signs of diminishing reliability in your HVAC system and opting for a replacement when necessary, you can ensure continued comfort and efficiency in your home. Try to weigh the long-term benefits of a new HVAC system versus ongoing maintenance costs.

If you’re selling your home soon, ask your real estate agent about the potential ROI of a new HVAC system. Buyers will appreciate not having an HVAC replacement looming in the near future and will often offer a higher price.

Problem Signs to Look Out For

When maintaining an HVAC system, it’s important to be vigilant for problem signs. Look out for unusual noises, inconsistent airflow, unexpected spikes in energy bills, and a need for more frequent repairs. These indicators can point to underlying issues that require attention to ensure the system operates effectively. Deferred maintenance can cause costly damage to the system.

Spike in Energy Bills

A sudden increase in energy bills without corresponding changes in your consumption patterns may indicate underlying problems with your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system. Regularly monitoring your energy bills can help you identify unusual fluctuations that may point to a need for HVAC maintenance before the problem escalates.

Higher energy costs could be a result of issues such as dirty filters, duct leaks, or low refrigerant levels, all of which can impact your system's performance and energy efficiency. Addressing HVAC maintenance promptly not only helps in lowering energy bills but also prevents further damage to your system, ensuring it operates cost-effectively.

Poor Airflow

Regularly monitoring your HVAC system for signs of poor airflow is essential to ensure optimal performance and energy efficiency in your home. Poor airflow in HVAC systems can result from clogged air filters, dirty evaporator coils, or blocked vents.

Signs of poor airflow include weak airflow from vents, uneven cooling or heating, and increased energy consumption. If your HVAC seems to be working harder, or running longer and more frequently than it used to, it could be struggling with poor airflow.

To address this issue, regularly clean or replace air filters, clear debris around the unit, and schedule professional maintenance. Ignoring poor airflow can lead to strain on the system, reducing comfort levels and potentially damaging the HVAC unit.

If your system is overworking, you might also consider other areas of your home—for example, increasing your insulation. Insulation helps your home properly maintain its set temperature, easing the load on your HVAC.

Noisy System

Unusual noises emanating from your HVAC system could signal underlying issues that require prompt attention to prevent further damage. Banging, rattling, or squealing sounds may indicate loose or worn-out components within the HVAC system, while vibrations or humming noises could point to problems with the blower motor or fan. Screeching sounds might signal belt or bearing issues.

Ignoring these noises can lead to more significant damage and potentially costly repairs down the line. It’s crucial to address these sounds promptly with professional maintenance to prevent system breakdowns.

More Frequent Repairs

If your HVAC system consistently needs repairs, it’s essential to pay attention to certain problem indicators. Frequent cycling on and off, foul odors, or poor indoor air quality should not be overlooked, as they could signify issues like thermostat malfunctions, dirty filters, or mold growth, requiring timely action to avoid continuous repairs.

Additionally, be mindful of unusual noises coming from the system, such as grinding or squealing sounds. These sounds can be indicative of mechanical issues that need immediate attention to prevent further damage and the need for repeated repairs.

Lastly, if you notice uneven heating or cooling in different areas of your home, it could be a sign of airflow restrictions or duct problems that may necessitate more frequent maintenance. 

Save Money in the Long Run With HVAC Upkeep

Regular HVAC system maintenance is crucial for optimal cost-effective performance. By implementing DIY maintenance tips, scheduling professional check-ups, and being vigilant for signs of system issues, homeowners can ensure their units are operating efficiently. Taking proactive steps to care for your HVAC system will extend its lifespan, improve indoor air quality, and save on energy costs in the long run.