The HVAC unit is one system most home owners can not live without. Design and technology has turned them into a must have solution for regulating temperature and ventilation. In rental properties having such a system can be a worthwhile investment. Tenants will pay more rent for it. However like a lot of systems in the home, the unit is expected to ‘just work’ and never need maintenance. But without reasonable care they will eventually break down.
Home owners are worst at forgetting maintenance. Landlords are usually prompted by their property managers who do regular property inspections, whereas there’s no one telling the owner occupier to clean the filter and do the other tasks so here’s a few tips on how to prolong the life of the HVAC system:
Prolong Your HVAC’s Life
- The filter is very important in an HVAC system. The filter keeps dirt, dust and even allergens at bay when the air is sucked in. Normally you need to change the filter every 90 days if it is a disposable filter and if it is a filter that can be cleaned and reused then that filter can be changed after a few years.Cleaning should be done every month so that all the dust and grime is cleared and the filter is able to function smoothly. Nowadays, there are new furnace filters known as high efficiency pleated filters also known as electrostatic filters that filter out even bacteria, you can try these filters so that your building is free from bacteria causing particles. You can read furnace filter reviews before buying these electrostatic filters.
- Many HVAC systems malfunction or do not last long because the required amount of clearance is not there around the outdoor units. You should ensure that there is at a minimum two feet of clearance near your AC units as well as the heat pump. This will ensure long life for your HVAC system. If the clearance is not even two feet then you can be sure that the life of your HVAC system will be a lot less than advertised.
- A very important factor to improve the life of your HVAC system is to remove leaves, twigs and dust around the air conditioning unit and heat pump. Recently a friend of mine had to change his HVAC system which was relatively new because he had not cleaned the debris around the outdoor units. Over time they started affecting the functioning of the HVAC system. My friend did not have an annual maintenance contract and did not feel that it was necessary to get a technician to service the system. The repair cost was huge and he thought it better to go for a new HVAC system rather than repair the existing one. Hence, you should ensure that no debris is around the outdoor units. In fact, every week the outdoor unit needs to be checked and all debris removed, this will increase efficiency as well as the life of the HVAC system.
- Hire a technician to regularly inspect the insulation. This will ensure the effectiveness of the cooling and the heating and it will also ensure the long life of your HVAC system as it will function more optimally when the insulation is good.