When it comes to residential HVAC systems, multiple components make up your system as a whole. These are your heating and cooling units, air filters, vents, registers, thermostats, and ductwork. Therefore, it is important to know the parts of your HVAC system as well as the basic details and information. You never know what the future holds; should something happen with your system, your Bexley Heating & Cooling family wants to ensure you know the basics.
1. Do You Know What Type of HVAC System You Have?
First and foremost, what kind of HVAC system do you have? Although you may not know this information offhand, it would be good to find out the answer and keep it in mind for the future. In addition, there are various types of furnaces and air conditioning units on the market, so knowing if yours is gas or electric, the brand, and other related specifications would be helpful to you as a homeowner, should any HVAC mishaps suddenly arise.
2. Do You Know How Old Your HVAC System Is?
Next on our list of basic things to know about your HVAC system is its age. This is also essential information in order to be prepared for the future. The longer a system runs, the more it decreases in its energy efficiency. You may have been able to count on “ole faithful” for many years, but as technology advances, energy consumption in older equipment decreases. And you may find yourself dishing out more money just to keep up with energy costs. One thing to remember is that your furnace and AC unit may not be the same age. It is possible that if you aren’t the first owner of your home, a previous owner may have had to change one of the units out at some point. So make sure you know the age of both the heating and cooling unit.
3. Do You Know How to Tell When Something is Off with Your HVAC System?
Usually, when an HVAC system has an issue going on, you will be able to tell with the signs and signals it is sending you. These come in the form of unusual sounds and off-putting smells. Also, keep an ear out for clinking, banging, or squealing sounds and any funky odors that you typically would overlook. Identifying these types of signals will prove beneficial. Otherwise, letting these issues run their course without proper maintenance can lead to cost extensive problems.
4. Do You Know When to Get Your Units Serviced?
Each of your heating and cooling units needs to be serviced for their seasonal tune-ups & safety checks once a year. This means your air conditioning unit should be serviced in the spring, and your heating unit should be serviced in the fall. Having these done regularly as recommended by the manufacturer keeps your warranty active. In addition, it ensures everything is running as it should be per safety regulations and that your system runs at its highest capacity.
5. Do You Know the Importance of IAQ?
IAQ, also known as indoor air quality, is a relevant subject due to its effect on an individual’s health and well-being. Too often, this thought is on the back burner of many homeowners’ minds. We want to stress how important IAQ is! Negative air quality within a home can be detrimental for people with preexisting medical conditions such as asthma, allergies, or other respiratory problems. Age also plays a large role in who negative IAQ affects. For this reason, we always suggest changing your air filters every 30-60 days. An air filter’s job is to catch and hold air pollutants and other contaminants, so if left unchanged, an air filter will become clogged. As the HVAC system continues to push out air, the pollutants will get cycled back into the air. This is not ideal! In addition, clogged air filters created a multitude of problems with the HVAC system too. Trust us; don’t take the risk by not changing those air filters out! If you don’t know how to do so, or perhaps you need assistance with this, we’d be happy to assist you during your spring maintenance check.
Bexley Heating & Cooling understands all the duties and responsibilities that fall on a homeowner’s shoulders. Sometimes, it may feel overwhelming when you have to remember how to do it all. So, let us help you shoulder that responsibility where your HVAC system is concerned. Our friendly and knowledgeable technicians will answer all your questions and help find the best solution for you, your home, and your family. Call us today at (614) 924-7856, or schedule an appointment online now by clicking here!