The Importance of HVAC Maintenance
Has it already been a year since your last Spring cleaning?
Ah, winter is ending, and spring is fast approaching. A typical spring tradition is a good cleaning around the house. Spring cleaning is more in-depth than the regular cleaning time we normally take. Spring cleaning removes dirt that has accumulated while your home has been closed to the cold. Typically, people sanitize and polish, declutter closets, attics, and cupboards, and let in the fresh air during spring cleaning. This fun but tedious activity helps to rejuvenate our spirits and prepare us for a year of outdoor activities.
Spring cleaning can tremendously benefit your HVAC system and improve indoor air quality for the entire year. We know your home is not a living creature, but the HVAC system acts like a set of lungs, moving air around and cleaning it in the process. Here are some HVAC Maintenance spring cleaning tips that will enhance the entire house and its occupants.
- Schedule a preventative maintenance visit in the spring to ensure your air conditioner is ready all summer long. That might sound a little self-serving, but regular maintenance tasks include cleaning portions of your furnace and air conditioner that you do not normally access. While you clean indoors and outdoors, let an HVAC Maintenance technician clean the areas that you cannot reach. The PM visit will also check mechanical and electrical parts to ensure the system is functioning efficiently.
- Open windows and doors as soon as the outdoor temperature permits. When the windows remain closed, airborne particles accumulate. Research has found wintertime indoor air can be 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air. Although it is necessary to stay warm during cold weather, the fresh air from outdoors removes locked-up pollutants. Let some fresh air inside and breathe easier. And, the resulting smell is extremely satisfying.
- Mopping, vacuuming, and dusting remove airborne particles that have fallen onto surfaces. If not removed, the particles will be stirred again by regular activities and become airborne. Regular cleaning works together with the HVAC system to remove them from your home permanently. The presence of airborne particles can be an irritant to the eyes, sinuses, and respiratory system. They are known to trigger asthma and allergy attacks and aggravate respiratory illnesses.
- Change your air filter at least every three months. We give this advice continually, but it really is necessary. With each heating cycle, the circulating air is filtered. Dust, pollen, and other pollutants are trapped and removed from your home forever. Find a schedule prompt that reminds you to change filters—the beginning of a new season is just such a reminder.
- This is an excellent time to clean your ductwork. Dust that makes it around the air filter blows into the ducts. When the blower motor stops, gravity takes over and deposits inside the ducts. If the dust does not become airborne again, it begins to accumulate over the years and creates a mess. Cleaning your ducts is recommended every 3 to 5 years.
- Remember to thoroughly clean the outdoor condenser unit. The winter wind might have blown leaves and debris around the base of the unit. During the cooling season, it is essential that air moves freely between the fins of the condenser unit to cool the refrigerant gas. So, on a warm, sunny day, use a garden hose to wash the dust that has accumulated in the condenser coil fins.
- This is also a good time to consider installing an ultraviolet light inside the ductwork. UV light disrupts the cell walls of living tissue—you might have experienced this with a sunburn. However, UV light kills pollen and mold spores, bacteria, and viruses. These single cells become inert dust, ready to be collected by the air filter.
Have questions about HVAC Maintenance, we can help!
Northwind Air Conditioning and Heat can help with HVAC Maintenance and regularly scheduled HVAC maintenance. Contact us and get the answers you need.
