During the summer and winter months, it is easy to forget that both your heating system and your HVAC units require routine maintenance checks year-round. As the warm summer months come around the corner, you may begin to feel the temperature going up and realize that your air conditioner is going to be crucial in keeping your family cool. If for any reason, however, your HVAC unit isn’t working, don’t panic! There are a few basic things you can check to get that air conditioner and furnace up and running again. Here, we will look at a few of the most important elements to look at first.
Dirty Air Filters
Simply put, the number one common reason that only warm air is spurting out of your HVAC unit is a dirty or clogged air filter. As a rule of thumb, keep in mind that a clogged filter makes a commercial HVAC unit work harder, which not only puts a massive strain on the machinery but can also significantly raise your energy bill.
Over time, the filters become caked in dirt and dust, which suppresses the airflow and can also damage your ductwork if it goes unchecked. The easy way prevent this from occurring by merely changing out the filters on your air conditioner on a regular basis, perhaps once a month. This simple part of regular maintenance allows all the dirt, pollen, pet hair, and natural debris to work itself out, allowing the cool air to flow and quickly getting your home at the desired, comfortable temperature. In addition, the clean air filter will also improve your indoor air quality, which is a good idea when it comes to keeping you and your family healthy.
Dirty Indoor and Outdoor Coils
Much like regularly switching out your air filters, if you’ve noticed warm air coming out of the vents when the HVAC is set to a cooler temperature, another basic issue may be with your evaporator coils. Although you may not be able to clean these yourself, having a professional HVAC technician visit to perform regular maintenance on your unit should always be among your priorities. Before the summer months hit, have both your indoor and outdoor coils thoroughly cleaned.
Also similar to your filters, if the coils are allowed to become overwhelmingly dirty, the unit cannot function in removing the heat from your home, which can also lead to health concerns. With the same air recirculating for hours on end, the stale air quality, dehydration, and frequent headaches can all occur from the poor air quality associated with unchecked coils. If you’ve been doing everything for staying healthy at work, yet feel ill once you’re back home, this is tell-tale sign that the filter, coils, and ducts should all be checked right away.
Thermostat Functions and Batteries
Although regular maintenance of your air conditioning unit is absolutely essential in keeping it working for many years of reliability, there is an even simpler place to begin before replacing the whole system. If you’ve checked your filters, coils, and had an HVAC technician visit for a routine check-up, you may also want to take a quick look at your thermostat. Believe it or not, with all the many things to keep in mind when tending to your HVAC’s functionality, it’s easy to forget to double-check the batteries in the thermostat. If you give the control-box a quick glance and see that the digital read-out is blank, chances are all you need to do is swap out the old batteries for new ones!
Not only is keeping the battery life of the thermostat an easy way to avoid much-more expensive repairs but by making sure that your home’s temperature is adjusted accordingly for the season you can also help keep energy costs low. By remembering these common problems, you’ll save a bundle of money, as well as protecting your family’s overall health.
