No one likes to be uncomfortable in their own house. The temperature you set your home at should be comfortable and one you enjoy, but with a failing HVAC unit, you might have to sit in misery. And with the weather getting ready to morph into the colder season, it’s time to get prepared.
Heating and cooling services are complex items to understand, but luckily, there are professionals who know all about these services. The performance of a homeowner’s heating and cooling system is important to tackle any weather that springs up in North Andover, MA. So, if it’s been a while since you’ve messed with your unit, here’s everything you need to know to make sure your home is ready for the upcoming weather changes.
Why Heating And Cooling Is Important
When was the last time you checked on the status of your HVAC unit? If you can’t remember the answer to this question, it might be time to do something about it.
Your home’s HVAC unit is more important than providing heat or air conditioning; it’s responsible for producing clean air that you and your family breathe. The “V” in HVAC stands for ventilation, which is a crucial component to have for your home with your HVAC system.
A heating and air conditioning service brings in air from outside and filters it into your home and vice-versa, filtering out air from your home. Without proper ventilation, you will be able to notice by the freshness of the air.
Since your unit is bringing in the air to your home, you want to make sure it’s bringing in clean air and filtering it properly.
Besides producing clean air for your family to breathe, an HVAC is important for achieving comfortable temperatures. If the weather is blistering cold or sweltering outside, no one wants to come indoors to the same temperature. Therefore, proper comfort in a working unit is important and necessary for you and your family’s daily living.
You should be aware of the many signs that indicate it’s time to upgrade to a modern, more efficient heating and cooling system. Those signs include:
- It’s outlived its lifespan
- Odd smells or sounds when the system is on
- Increase in energy bill
- Uneven temperatures
- Consistent repairs
- Dust build-up
- Anything else your technician makes you aware of
If you begin to see an increase in dust build-up around your home, this can be a potential health hazard for you and your family. This means the filtration system of your HVAC is not working properly to trap pollutants or elements from the outside to provide clean air in your home. As a result, you will not only be breathing in those pollutants but living in a dusty environment.
Having an energy-efficient system is also important. A noticeable rise in your energy bills indicates that your current system has to work harder to provide a temperature that matches what you have it set to on the thermostat.
HVACs have a typical lifespan of 20-30 years. Unfortunately, the older your HVAC gets, the more it begins to wear. When your HVAC begins to wear out, the parts will not run as efficiently, or it will have to run harder since it cannot heat or cool the house like it used to. Because of this, more energy is being used and resulting in a higher energy bill. Luckily, modern units help prevent this.
Taking Care Of Your Heating And Cooling Service
If you have your technician over to your home to make many repairs, it might be time to pull the plug and invest in a new system for your home. Or, if your home hasn’t seen an HVAC replacement since it was built, it also is a good time to upgrade.
A crucial aspect in preserving the longevity and performance of your HVAC is making sure its maintenance stays in excellent shape. There are things you can do as well as do with the help of a technician to keep your new unit working as it should.
The first thing is to do is schedule a maintenance check twice a year: once in the spring and once in the fall. Having a trusted technician come over to your home to look at your system will tell you if any major repairs need to be made to prepare for the upcoming weather change.
Another simple maintenance tip that ensures the longevity of your system is switching the air filter out every three to six months. Your air filter is responsible for trapping the harmful pollutants from entering your home and breathing it in. When you fail to change your air filters, this can cause the build-up of dust and unclean air to breathe, but it can cause problems with the ductwork.
When your air filter is full, this can cause the ductwork to get clogged with the pollutants and not function as it should. This can also cause the unit to work harder to get clean air through the clogged system, which is where the overuse of energy and increased bill factor in.
While you are changing out your air filter, it’s also the perfect time to clean out your ductwork. Cleaning out your ductwork now and then keeps the filters free from dust and allows you to look in for any leaks. Leaks in ductwork can be easily fixed by patching them with duct tape.
If you notice any cracks in the ductwork, these must be fixed immediately. Air will leak out of the cracks instead of in your home so that the temperatures will be uneven. Uneven temperatures are another cause for your system to work harder than it should and use more energy.
But it’s not just the inside of the heating and cooling system that needs to be cleaned; the outside compressor should have regular maintenance as well.
Cleaning the outdoor compressor may seem intimidating, but it’s pretty simple, too. Although, if you prefer your technician to clean it, they can do so when performing their regular maintenance check.
To clean your outdoor compressor, you first need to turn off the power and clear the compressor of any debris from the outside, like leaves or sticks. Then you remove the fan and spray down the coils before applying coil cleaner and letting it sit for fifteen minutes. When the fifteen minutes is up, scrub the coils with a coil cleaning brush before rinsing them off and putting the fans back on.
Keeping up with your heating and air conditioning maintenance is very important for their longevity. If you want to have an efficient working unit, do your part to keep it healthy!
Know About Going Ductless
When you are looking for a new system to install, you should note that central and gas options are not the only ones out there. There are heating and cooling systems that don’t use traditional ductwork.
Ductless systems are great options that heat and cool your home while also saving you money monthly. Their only downfall is being a chunky box that you install on your wall, window, or baseboard.
Besides their looks, ductless systems are very efficient and favorable for heating or cooling your home. These systems allow you to be in complete control and vary the heating or cooling in the rooms you put these in.
With ductless systems, you do not need to put them in every room unless you want to. These systems work differently than the traditional gas or central HVAC units. Whereas gas and central heat or cool the entire house, ductless systems are only responsible for the room they are in. With that being said, you can heat one room while using the air conditioner in another room simultaneously.
Cleaning a ductless mini-split works the same as cleaning a standard unit, but keeping the outside clean is the biggest concern. Your ductless system should be free from curtains or shelves so that these items do not overheat, and the power should be off when you clean the coils and pipes.
The filters in ductless mini-splits do not need to be replaced as often but instead, need to be cleaned. Then, the filters just need to be removed and wiped down by a clean cloth. The filters in a ductless system work to provide clean air and trap the pollutants from entering, so you must keep them clean as often as you can.
Ductless systems are great options for homes or recent additions. While their installation costs are a little more than standard units, you will be saving money on the back end by using an energy-efficient system and being able to control the heat and air that’s being used daily.
What To Look For In A New HVAC Unit
If you are going to replace your HVAC unit fully, you may be wondering what to look for. There are two important factors when deciding on a new unit:
- The right size for your home
- Energy-efficient
Working with the right company can help you find the right brand, and the installation process is one step, but finding the right unit for your home is the hardest. You should choose the appropriate size gas or central heating and air conditioning unit for your home to help preserve energy and its performance.
Too small or too large of a unit will cause the system to work harder and not function as it should for the space in your home. If you are unsure of what size your home needs, don’t worry, that’s where your trusted technician comes in to help. Your technician will come out to your home to assess the size of your home and its needs before they recommend the right size of a unit you need.
The second thing you need to look for in a new HVAC unit is energy efficiency. Most modern units are built to be more energy-efficient and have technology built in to help. Your budget for a new system should include the highest energy-efficient system you can afford to help save your family at least 30% of energy costs (this is how much you can save with a new efficient system).
While choosing a new heating and cooling system may seem stressful, it’s important that you hire a trusted company to walk you through the process.
Contact Us For HVAC Services
If you need help understanding the current status of your unit or would like to replace your HVAC, call us at 128 Plumbing. We have been helping the residents of North Andover with all of their heating and cooling services for the past 29 years, and we feel confident we can do the same for you.
With all of the technical aspects involved in dealing with heating and cooling services, we take over everything from installation to consultation and keep you up-to-date with our advice and recommendations.
Your home’s heating and cooling service are vital to your comfort and air quality in your North Andover home. Instead of being overwhelmed by installing a new unit, we’re here to guide you through every step of the process and offer financing to help with installation costs.
If you’re ready to replace your home’s HVAC for the upcoming seasons, give us a call today at (781) 670-3261 to get started!
