Importance of HVAC Maintenance

It is unarguable that other than the installation the most important thing when it comes to keeping an HVAC system in good standing is maintenance. It would never be a good idea to buy a new car and never change the oil in that car, so why would you treat your HVAC system that way? Let’s face it, new heating and cooling systems are not cheap, but we as humans cannot live without them this day in age. With that being said, it would be ludicrous to not take a couple of small steps over the life span of the system’s life to protect your investment and maximize the performance of your system. One of the most obvious things that every homeowner should know if you own a house. However, it has to be said because this is probably the most commonly overlooked thing to do, but simply change the system’s air filters every month or so. Timing on how frequently a filter should be changed should be based on the cleanliness of the home, pets in the home, and foot traffic. A dirty air filter does multiple negative things. First off, a dirty air filter does not do its job correctly, on top of that leaving a dirty filter in a system for that long is flat out gross. Also, once a filter becomes dirty it starts to make negative effects on the parts within the system. As a filter gets clogged up, the static pressure in a system will start to build up. This puts stress on the air handler’s blower assembly, therefore, bringing down the efficiency of the system and potentially causing premature part failure. One upgrade option a homeowner has the option to add to their system is to have a 5” media filter added into the install. Rather than just having a typical thin one-inch filter, media filters typically being Merv-11 meaning “Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value” provide the next level of clean air while lasting 5 times as long. The standard one-inch air filter is typically Merv-5 to 6. If you have a family member that suffers from allergies, has any type of breathing issues, or has a lot of pets in the home we highly suggest considering adding one of these to a new system. Another perk to media filters is the fact they have a longer life span on the filter itself, media filters can last up to around 5-6 months without being changed out in the typical home. This is great for systems in hard-to-reach locations like attics. Another step that can be taken to protect your investment is to have the coil and blowers cleaned. Having a systems blower pulled and cleaned periodically can be very important for the longevity of a system. The blower is responsible for getting the airflow throughout the entire home. It is not uncommon for small debris to get past the filter and build up around the blower assembly. If the blower gets super dirty it can cause a blower motor to prematurely fail. Also cleaning the coil (typically above that blower) is a very important step many people overlook. It is a good idea to have the coil cleaned every couple of years to get rid of dirt/particle build-ups on the coil that cause a lack of inefficiency. Dirty coils force the compressor to work harder, therefore shortening the lifespan of the compressor. This is also very important to system performance, dirty coils can baffle the performance of a system by as much as 7% if not cleaned. Here at Browning Heating and Cooling, we try to make all of this a breath of fresh air for everyone we do business with. If you happen to live in the Gainesville, Florida area we offer an awesome deal on maintenance agreements for all our customers. For just $180.00 a year locals can become a PMA “preventative maintenance agreement ” customer with us and we will handle the dirty work for you! This service provides two yearly visits including cleaning the coil in place and the outdoor system as well. It is no question nature has significant impacts on things over time. Making sure the outdoor system is clean and not packed with leaves or other bits of nature is key. Our techs will also check system pressures and make sure everything seems to be in good standing. Sometimes catching an issue before it becomes a real issue can save hundreds if not thousands on costly repairs.