HVAC Repair Tips for Homeowners

Gas-fired furnaces typically have a longer expected service life than central air conditioners

Probably not many people think about heater replacements during the summer. There are several reasons why the summer is actually the best time to upgrade your heating system. The lifespan of a furnace depends on how well it’s maintained, and the local climate and average annual operating days. The average gas-fired furnace installed in most homes today can last 15 to 20 years. heating performance can decline over time, and furnace energy efficiency may no longer meet current standards, resulting in higher monthly bills. As a unit wears out, decisions are often made about whether to invest more money in costly repairs or upgrade now to a more reliable and efficient model. Due to the off-season prices and selection, summer is the best time to consider heating replacements. The demand for furnaces will naturally increase as the weather cools down. Conversely, during the summer, dealers offer more attractive prices to keep volume up and offer a wider selection of units, including last year’s models at substantial discounts. During the summer, you can shop around and consider all your options at your leisure. On the other hand, if you wait until the heater suddenly fails during the winter, you’ll probably be under pressure to make a quick decision. Shopping at that time is never a good idea. Gas-fired furnaces typically have a longer expected service life than central air conditioners. It may be more cost-effective to replace both the furnace and the air conditioner at the same time if your air conditioning unit has also seen better days. When you replace the entire system, unit prices may be lower and installation costs may be lower.

Heating maintenance

Periodic cleaning is required

Some of us never seem to be able to escape allergies. In the fall, we find ourselves sniffling, coughing, sneezing and wheezing at a new round of pollen, such as that from trees or fall-blooming flowers. You can’t do much about containing allergens like pollen while outdoors, but you can do some things indoors by enlisting the help of your HVAC system. Replace the air filter. If you don’t change your air filter often, it will not capture airborne particulates as well. Besides conditioning the air, HVAC systems require good air flow to remove particulates from the filtering system. Make sure your air filter is of good quality. Fiberglass filters are not dense enough to capture the smaller particles of pollen that may be circulating in your home and triggering your allergies. Your best defense is a dense, pleated filter rated 8-12 on the MERV scale. Consider an air cleaner. The type of air cleaner you choose will depend on the kind of allergen you want to control. Your HVAC system might benefit from an electrostatic filter if pollen is your problem allergen. Permanent filters are more expensive than disposable filters, but they last for a long time. Electrostatic charges attract particles. Periodic cleaning is required. A true HEPA air filter may be necessary if your allergies are extremely severe. In order for a HEPA filter to work in your HVAC system, the system must be modified to accommodate this ultra-dense filtration. As a result, the HVAC system would not be able to cool or heat properly.

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Most homeowners look forward to the cooler months of the year after a scorching summer. You will have to use your heating system at some point, and that’s when things will get heated up. Here are some tips to follow before turning on your heater for the new season. Turn on your pilot light. Since your heating system hasn’t been running for a while, your pilot light may need to be re-lit. If you don’t know how to do this yourself or want to have your system checked at the same time, call a qualified technician. Make sure you hire a qualified technician. If you want your heating system to run efficiently and effectively for as long as possible, it must be serviced regularly. A qualified technician should inspect the system once a year to ensure this is happening. Replace or clean the air filter. As your system’s air filter gets dirty, it won’t run and before, and releasing contaminants into your home. This can be prevented by cleaning or replacing the air filter every 1-3 months, depending on how quickly it clogs. Make the switch to a better thermostat. Programmable thermostats allow you to control the days and times when your HVAC system operates. Manual thermostats are a thing of the past. Wi-fi connectivity and weather updates are also available on many of these. Make sure your alarms are working. There should be at least one carbon monoxide alarm per story in your home, and multiple smoke alarms. Each one can be tested by pressing a small button on the front and batteries can be replaced if necessary.

a/c care plan

It makes sense to close HVAC registers when indoor temperature control becomes an issue. Keep conditioned air out of rooms where you don’t need it to keep the rest of the house comfortable and save money by not wasting unwanted heating and cooling. Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. HVAC units and ductwork systems are designed to deliver a specific volume of air to each room based on its square footage. One or more registers can affect that careful equilibrium. Unintended consequences can occur. HVAC systems don’t know whether all registers are open. As long as the thermostat is set, it produces the same amount of heated or cooled air and consumes the same amount of energy. Each room’s supply air volume is controlled by internal dampers inside the branch ducts. It ensures consistent temperatures regardless of whether a room is near or far from the system blower. When one or more supply registers are closed, airflow balance and temperatures are disrupted. Rooms near the blower may receive too much airflow, while rooms far away may not get enough. The supply registers may be closed to stop airflow, but the return registers remain open. Even without supply air, the return system draws air out of the room. This discrepancy depressurizes the room and/or part of the house. A depressurized room draws unfiltered cold or hot outdoor air into the room through small structural cracks and gaps. This infiltrating air destabilizes room temperature and can degrade indoor air quality. Closing supply vents increases static pressure inside the supply ductwork which in turn stresses the system blower, potentially leading to shorter service life of that component.

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