If you don’t know, preventative maintenance is proactive
servicing and care of equipment to ensure it functions correctly and without
major defects. During the spring and fall it is always a good idea to prep your
HVAC units for the winter and summer.
Preventative maintenance will help keep your HVAC system working
properly, and save you money! You might be wondering why preventative
maintenance is so important, and we will explain it to you here!
Preventative maintenance for your HVAC equipment includes
various tasks. These tasks include inspecting the safety functions and safety
controls. All of the electrical components should be inspected and their
connections replaced or repaired as necessary. Airflow and the air filters will
be checked to see if they need to be replaced. The pumps, lubricants, and flow
rates should also be checked when appropriate. The motor should be checked in
case it needs to be cleaned and/or lubricated. The belts may need to be
adjusted and aligned and the balanced blowers checked in case they need to be
cleaned and inspected further. As you can see, your HVAC system has a lot of
moving parts. If they're not properly maintained, small problems can quickly
turn into big problems!
We all do it; we neglect things in our homes hoping that if
we don’t mess with them they will run forever. Unfortunately, this isn’t true! Think
about your car. Every several months, you get the oil changed and the air
filter replaced. We rotate and balance the tires regularly and check the tire
pressure. If you’ve got a good mechanic, they’ll give you recommendations for
small maintenance to keep your car running smoothly. Your HVAC system isn’t
quite as expensive as your car, necessarily, but it’s still a major purchase
for your home. Replacing one can be costly. Your HVAC system will become run
down without proper maintenance and care. Plus, maintaining the system will
save you money in the long run!
“According
to the Consortium of Energy Efficiency (CEE) up to 50% more energy can be saved
with proper installation, sizing, and maintenance of commercial central air conditioning
and heat pumps. ‘Although the CEE study did not measure residential systems, a
compelling case can be made that proper maintenance can save homeowners up to
50% as well,’ according to Larry Taylor, President of Air Rite A/C Company,
Inc., Fort Worth, Texas” (https://www.acca.org/archives/consumer-info-2/articles-for-homeowners/2180).
Transitional
seasons are the ideal time for having preventative maintenance done. In between
the summer and winter seasons, the weather is mild. People aren’t generally
using their systems that much, so you can take a few hours to have a service
call come check your system without any discomfort. In addition, as you head
into the hot season, your system is going to be used a lot more. More use of
your system means more stress. When this happens, you’re going to want your
system to be running at peak performance. The last thing you want on a 90+
degree day with humidity is for your AC to go out! Since it’s peak season, HVAC
companies are going to be swamped with phone calls from people who didn’t get preventative maintenance
during the spring, and they’re systems are failing. You don’t want to be
waiting hours or potentially even days for someone to repair your system. Take
advantage of the slow time in the spring and fall to have a technician visit
your home and give your system a little preventative maintenance love and
you’ll save yourself some future stress. An ounce of prevention…
Got
any questions? Give Guin a call at (205)-595-4846. We’re happy to answer your
questions, or you can always sign up for a preventative maintenance agreement
with Guin so you can relax knowing that your HVAC system will run great
throughout every season.
Resources:
http://www.trane.com/residential/for-owners/maintenance-tips
HVACReducation.net’s
Tech Tips: http://hvacreducationtechtips.blogspot.com/2010/05/why-pre-season-air-conditioning.html
Carrier Home
Comfort: http://www.carrier.com/homecomfort/en/us/for-owners
http://www.guinservice.com
https://www.acca.org/archives/consumer-info-2/articles-for-homeowners/2180
