Your HVAC System Will Benefit from Seasonal Maintenance This Fall

While summer is still hanging around, it’s not too early to think about the upcoming transition from summer to fall, especially how it pertains to your home’s central heating and cooling system. The fall season is an ideal time to schedule professional maintenance on the heating component of your home HVAC system, as well as put your cooling system to bed for the year. Seasonal maintenance will help ensure optimal performance and energy efficiency for the coming heating season.

Fall Maintenance Steps for Your HVAC System

Some of these steps you can do yourself while other tasks should be left to your trusted professional HVAC technician. When in doubt, use the pro.

• Inspect the air filter that works with your forced-air heating and cooling system. If it has been filtering the air in your cooling system all summer, it probably needs to be replaced or cleaned. Most homes use the gas furnace blower as the blower/air handler for their cooling system, so the same filter that’s working with cooling also will work with your heating system. During heavy-use seasons – summer and winter – inspect the filter each month and change it when it looks dirty or clogged. A clogged air filter will restrict airflow, eroding both energy efficiency and performance.

• If you use a heat pump for home heating, the heat-exchange coils, both inside and outside, should be cleaned on an as-needed basis. This is probably best left to a professional during their fall maintenance tune-up, though if you’re the handy sort, you can take on this chore. Dust and grit can accumulate on the coils, compromising the transfer of heat energy to and from the coils. Without effective transfer of heat, the heat pump can’t provide satisfactory heating or cooling. Over time, if the coils are not cleaned, breakdowns and/or refrigerant leaks may eventually occur.

• Once you’re sure that you no longer will be using the AC – and you’re not using a heat pump for heat – go ahead and cover your AC’s outside condenser/compressor unit for the winter, to protect it from the elements. You can purchase a dedicated cover or do something as simple as laying a plywood board across the top of the unit. If you choose to employ a makeshift cover that envelopes the whole unit, it should allow a small amount of airflow, to avoid moisture from getting trapped in the equipment for an extended period.

Schedule a Fall Tune-Up on Your HVAC System

Nothing will keep your home’s HVAC system running smoothly and efficiently as much as a fall maintenance visit from your trusted local HVAC contractor. During this visit, the technician will undertake a long list of maintenance steps to make sure your equipment is ready to operate at optimum performance and energy efficiency through the winter months. Most importantly, the technician will inspect your heating equipment for any safety issues, and then correct any that he finds. This is especially crucial with gas- or oil-burning furnaces.

During an expanded maintenance tune-up, the technician may also inspect your home’s ductwork system, to make sure it’s not in disrepair. Your heating and cooling equipment can be working perfectly but that won’t matter if the ducts aren’t delivering conditioned air efficiently,