HVAC tips

It costs thousands of dollars to get your HVAC replaced. Even worse, the unit has the highest chance of breaking during the summer or winter months. This is the time of year when it’s working the hardest, and the time of year when you most need it to work! As well, HVAC technicians tend to be busiest in the coldest or warmest months, meaning you have to be uncomfortable longer.

If you want to avoid that, there are a few things you can do yourself to ensure the longevity of your unit. Learn about them below.

Change Your Air Filter Regularly

There are a couple of rules of thumb to follow when determining how often you should replace your air filter.

If the home is occupied year-round, you shouldn’t wait more than 90 days to replace it. You have more flexibility with vacation homes, which may only need to get their filters replaced once every six months.

People living by themselves may only need to change the filter once every 90 days, but larger families – or single-occupant homeowners with pets – will need to change it once every 30 or 60 days.

Circumstances vary based on your home, so you’ll want to check your filter monthly to get an idea of how often you should change yours.

Keep Up with the Seasons

Your HVAC doesn’t know when the seasons change. That’s why you need to be mindful of its temperature regulation. Instead of keeping your house at the same temperature throughout the year, you might keep it a little colder during the winter months and a little warmer during the summer months.

You shouldn’t feel uncomfortable, but staying mindful of the temperature outside allows you to determine how you can stay comfortable while lessening the amount of work your HVAC needs to do.

Keep an Eye on Your HVAC Unit

It’s a good idea to check on your HVAC unit once a week. You don’t even need technical know-how to do this. You simply need to ask yourself these two questions:

Are any leaves or debris near my HVAC? You don’t want your HVAC system to get clogged. Clogging makes the HVAC work harder to produce the same results. This increases your energy costs, and it decreases the unit’s lifespan.
Is my HVAC leaking? This could be a sign that the system got clogged, or it could point to something more serious like low refrigerant. Either way, you’ll want to turn off the system immediately. Then you can call a professional to get it fixed.
To take care of your HVAC, you need to understand when there’s a problem. By the time you notice a reduction in its capabilities, it may be too late. That’s why you need to visually inspect the unit.

Looking for an HVAC company in Arizona? At Hicken Air, we’ve been servicing AC units for the past 11 years. Call us at 480-376-1667 or contact us online.

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