March 17, 2022

Tips to Prepare Your HVAC System for Spring in Greenwood, Indiana

Homeowners who practice seasonal maintenance of HVAC systems ensure comfort for the entire household while keeping expenses down. Routine HVAC maintenance cuts down energy bills, extends system life, and keeps your home safe from damaged drain lines, allergens, mold, and carbon monoxide.

To prepare your HVAC system for spring, make sure to check the integrity of the indoor and outdoor units.

Indoor: Change the air filters and clean air vents, dirty registers, exhaust hoods, and ducts to improve ventilation. Installing an air purifier and cleaning windows will improve air quality by removing allergens, mold, dust, and germs. Automating your thermostat will make your home more energy-efficient.
Outdoor: Clearing the outdoor area surrounding your AC unit will improve airflow. You should also check the A/C drain line for any algae or debris that cause condensation.

Because HVAC systems involve many factors, many homeowners choose to ignore the essential steps to proper routine maintenance. By scheduling an appointment with a professional air conditioning service, you can ensure the maximum efficiency of your HVAC system.

In this article, we’ll give you some essential tips on how to prepare your HVAC system for spring. Before that, let’s cover why seasonal HVAC maintenance is important.

Why get preventive maintenance for spring?

After thinking about how much time and money you’ll spend, ignoring HVAC maintenance for spring can be tempting,

However, if you don’t do HVAC maintenance in time for seasonal changes, you put your household at risk for:

Wasted electricity and high energy bills
System failure and damage that requires costly repairs
Water damage to your house due to clogged water lines
Carbon monoxide leaks due to failed or cracked heat exchangers
Exposure to molds, allergens, dust, and germs
Uncomfortable living conditions

HVAC maintenance is recommended at least twice a year, once before the cooling and heating season. Make sure to have your HVAC system checked in the spring. Hot summer days will put your home at greater risk than the risks mentioned above.

While some homeowners don’t want to pay for HVAC preventive measures twice a year, routine HVAC preventive maintenance is a worthwhile investment that will keep your home safe, comfortable, and efficient.

When it’s time to upgrade your AC system

If you’ve failed to apply proper preventive maintenance, you’ll end up with a dirty and poorly functioning air conditioning system.

After testing your air conditioner, you may have realized that the system isn’t as efficient as it used to be. If this is the case, you may have to consider upgrading to a new air conditioner in spring, right before the summer season.

Here are indicators that you need an AC replacement:

Your home isn’t cool enough: If an HVAC tune-up doesn’t solve this issue, your AC may be too small. In other cases, it may simply be outdated.
You frequently hired an HVAC repairman in the past year: It’s normal to schedule an HVAC service for routine maintenance and occasional repairs. However, if you regularly see your repairman, you may need to compare the cost of regularly repairing the unit versus the cost of getting a replacement. Remember that getting a new air conditioner will likely improve your energy savings as well.
Your utility bills are unusually high: Older air conditioning units consume 30-50% more energy than newer models in the market. If your AC is more than 10 years old, replacing it can cut back your energy consumption by 20-40%.
You want to reduce your carbon footprint: Air conditioners release sulfur and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. If you want to help out mother earth, buy an environmentally-friendly system that has a higher SEER rating. Older models have a SEER rating of 6 or less, but newer models are required to have a SEER rating of at least 13.

HVAC Maintenance Tips

Scheduling spring HVAC maintenance will help you save money and ensure that your family has safe and comfortable living conditions.

For thorough HVAC preventive maintenance, make sure to tick each of these chores from your routine HVAC maintenance checklist:

Indoor

Test your unit: Check if the AC properly cools your home. You might want to wait until the weather is warmer, but don’t wait until the summer to check your unit. This will lead to higher energy bills and put unnecessary stress on the damaged parts. There shouldn’t be unusual noises or smells coming from the unit.
Change your air filters: Dirty air filters force AC systems to work harder because dust restricts airflow. The more you use your HVAC unit, the more dust, dander, and pollen collect in the air filter. To maximize your system’s efficiency, replace air filters monthly.
Dust and wipe ceiling fan blades, heat pumps, clean the air vents, floor registers, ducts, and exhaust hoods: Make sure that you clean these HVAC parts to improve ventilation, taking care to remove dander, dust, dirt, and other debris. Carefully disassemble the parts, then wipe the areas down with warm and soapy water. Make sure to thoroughly dry the components before reinstalling and running the system. Since it’s difficult to recognize parts and the cleaning process can be complicated, an HVAC service may be of assistance.
Clean dirty windows: Windows play a big role in ensuring proper home ventilation. Dust, dander, mold, and germs accumulate on windows and prevent clean air from entering and circulating in your home. Make sure to include thorough window cleaning in your spring cleaning routine.
Install an air purifier: Spring is the best time to invest in an air purifier as more pollen, pet dander, and dust will be in the air. Remove harmful allergens and mold by installing HEPA air filters for large rooms. Not only will an air filter make the air cleaner for your family, but it will ensure that debris doesn’t enter your air conditioner.
Install a programmable thermostat: Smart thermostats ensure that your HVAC system is running efficiently. You can program a schedule for your thermostat to optimize temperatures for heating, cooling, and heat pump systems. Smart thermostats allow you to adjust temperatures using your laptop, tablet, or smartphone.
Check for carbon monoxide: Carbon monoxide doesn’t come from air conditioners, but homes with bad ventilation and poor maintenance of gas appliances, heaters, cookers, burners, and boilers can pose a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. An HVAC contractor will ensure that your air conditioners, heat pumps, boilers, and furnaces are well maintained.

Outdoor

Clear the surrounding area: Debris such as leaves, weeds, and branches affect your A/C unit as they can restrict airflow. Especially after bad weather conditions, this debris can get stuck in your air conditioner’s condenser, reducing the unit’s efficiency. Make sure to clear your outdoor A/C unit to ensure maximum unit efficiency. Use a water hose spray to remove loose debris like branches, leaves, and grass. Spray the unit with coil cleaner or a solution of soap and water. Leave the cleaner for 10 to 15 minutes, then use a soft brush or sponge to wipe down the cleaner. Rinse off the rest of the cleaner with a water hose.
Check the A/C drain lines: Air conditioning units have a drain line that carries excess moisture from the unit formed through condensation. If algae and debris clog the drain lines, it can freeze the unit and cause system failure. To clean drain lines, pour a cup of bleach and use a drain brush to remove the debris. Cleaning drain lines is best done outdoors because the process can be messy and smelly.

Need a Hand with HVAC Maintenance in Greenwood, IN?

When ticking off chores from your spring cleaning schedule, don’t forget to include your HVAC system.

As temperatures start to rise, households turn to their air conditioning instead of the furnace. It’s important to check if your HVAC system is running properly and efficiently in time for the new season.

If you wait until summer to schedule an air conditioning contractor, you risk spending a fortune on electricity bills because the system will work too hard. It can also lead to machine damage that needs costly repairs.

Complete Comfort Heating is a full-service cooling and plumbing company in Greenwood, IN. The BBB and EPA certified team consisting of technicians and plumbers guarantee top-notch 24/7 customer service,

The company offers services concerning cooling, heating, geothermal systems, plumbing, and indoor air quality (IAQ).

Schedule your routine HVAC system maintenance with service professionals

HVAC preventive maintenance is critical to reducing the risk of high utility bills and damaging your HVAC unit. However, if you notice that your ac is unusually inefficient and costing you frequent repairs, you may need to replace your HVAC system.

Call the top-rated Greenwood heating and cooling company, Complete Comfort Heating for full-service HVAC Maintenance Greenwood, IN:

Give us a call at (317) 535-5073 anytime – our services are available 24/7! You can also schedule our services online.

Author Bio:

Brittany Katterjohn

Brittany is a marketer, entrepreneur, and writer with previous business development experience in the home maintenance industry. She currently manages the marketing for Complete Comfort Heating, Air & Plumbing and has a passion for helping people by simplifying seemingly complicated topics related to home maintenance and repair.

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