Tips to Get Your HVAC System Ready for Summer
As we finally pull out of the cold winter season, it’s time to get your home prepped for the long summer months ahead. One of the main tasks on your list should be related to getting your HVAC system prepped. If it’s your first year as a homeowner or you just need a refresher, we’re going to share with you the top tasks for getting your cooling system ready for the hot summer weather.
Get Your Outdoor Unit Ready
The outside weather can wreak havoc on your outdoor condenser unit. You’ll want to take some time and clean up around the unit. Remove any foliage that’s within three feet of the unit. Take off the AC grille cover and clean any loose debris from inside of the unit and in between the fins. Check over all of the fins and see if any of them are bent. If so, you’ll want to bend them back out so that they can properly disperse heat.
Inspect Your Refrigerant Lines
Two refrigerant lines run from the inside of your home to your outdoor condenser unit. You’ll want to visually inspect these lines for any potential damage. This includes holes, dents, or even corrosion. If you notice any imperfections, it’s best to have them evaluated by a licensed HVAC professional. The refrigerant substance that runs throughout these lines can be dangerous to one’s health if not handled properly.
Change Your Air Filter
Your HVAC system will have at least one air filter that’s located near the blower fan. You’ll want to pull it out and check to see if it needs to be replaced. If you can’t see through the filter, then it’s time to replace it. If you or someone else in your household has bad summertime allergies, you may want to invest in a HEPA air filter. This top-quality filter will remove more airborne particles than just pleated filters alone. The fewer particles that circulate around your indoor air, the fewer allergy flareups you’ll experience.
Inspect Your Exposed Ducting
Unless you have a ductless HVAC system, then you have ducting that runs throughout the floors and walls of your house. While you can’t physically assess all of your home’s ducting due to drywall and other structural materials, you should be able to assess some of it in your basement. Now is a good time to visually inspect any exposed ducting. You want to take note of any holes or gaping that’s occurring. These should be fixed with foil ducting tape to ensure that no air freely leaks out of your ducting. The more air that remains in your ducting, the less your cooling system has to work to deliver cold air throughout your residence.
Reverse Your Ceiling Fans
Having ceiling fans in the most highly trafficked rooms of your home can drastically help to regulate your indoor comfort level. When the weather starts to get hotter, it’s time to reverse the way that your ceiling fan blades spin. You’ll want the fan blades to spin in a counterclockwise direction. This will force air down toward the floor. This breeze can help to cool down your family up to 10 degrees without having to change the temperature setting on your thermostat.
Schedule Professional Maintenance
Getting your HVAC system professionally serviced during the spring months is a great way to ensure that your cooling system is properly prepped to take on the long, hot summer months ahead. Additionally, most HVAC warranties require that you get your cooling system serviced by a licensed and certified technician at least once a year to keep your warranty active. It’s best to call and get on the schedule in the early spring months. This way, anything amiss with your cooling system can be addressed before you need to be using it nonstop during the hot summer.
Upgrade to a Smart Thermostat
If you’re not yet using a smart thermostat, it’s time to upgrade. This thermostat holds many advantages over the old dial and programmable thermostats. The most obvious is that you can adjust your HVAC system from anywhere that your smartphone has internet connectivity. If your plans change, you can easily change your HVAC system to meet them. Also, smart thermostats will assess your regular thermostat settings and make recommendations on how to reduce your energy usage by implementing more efficient settings. The financial investment in a smart thermostat will easily pay for itself many times over in the amount of energy savings that you’ll cash in on by using one.
Clean Your Condensate Line
As the warm air in your home passes over the evaporator coils, the heat is transferred to the refrigerant inside of the coils. As this heat transfers, excess humidity in the air turns back into water. As it drips off the evaporator coils and down into the drain pan, it will be diverted into the condensate line. You’ll want to check the drain and the line itself for any obstructions, like unwanted debris. Be sure to run some water down the drain and through the line to ensure that it runs smoothly. Not addressing your condensate line can allow for water to back up in your drain pan and, eventually, onto your floor.
Professional Duct Cleaning
Every two to three years, you’ll want to have your ducting cleaned out by a professional. This should be done during the spring months to help remove debris that has accumulated over the previous winter. If you or someone else in your household suffers from bad allergies, you may want to get your ducting cleaned out more often. The less debris you have present in your ducting, the less debris that will circulate throughout your indoor air and cause unwanted allergy flareups.
Inspect and Clean Vents
Another springtime maintenance task is to inspect and clean your vents. You’ll want to ensure that there are no obstructions that are blocking the free flow of air out of your vents. Some common obstructions include couches, chairs, and plants. If possible, pop each vent out of the wall and give it a thorough cleaning. It’s very common for the vent grates to accumulate unwanted dust and other debris as air is forced in or out of them. Make sure that you allow all of your vents to completely dry off before putting them back into the wall. Inserting partially damp vents can end up causing mold and mildew growth as your air conditioning system runs.
Test Your Cooling System
Before you wrap up your springtime HVAC maintenance checklist, it’s time to test run your cooling system. Set it at a reasonable temperature and ensure that cold air is flowing out of all of your supply vents. Listen for any odd noises or sounds that may indicate that there’s a problem with your cooling system. You should let the system cycle through a couple of times before shutting it back off. This test run will help to ensure that everything is working perfectly before you need to rely on your cooling system consistently.
Quality HVAC Services
C & C Heating & Air Conditioning provides quality HVAC services for the entire Roseville, MI region. We also offer indoor air quality, ductless, duct cleaning, duct repair, water heater, and air filtration services. Contact us today to get the help that you need!
