6 Benefits of HVAC Maintenance

Your ventilation system in your home is one of the key elements of your family’s health. The air in your home can be filled with contaminants like airborne spores and germs and can be prone to mold and mildew. Poorly ventilated homes are far more susceptible than those with air conditioning and ventilation systems.

For allergy and asthma sufferers, poor ventilation is a well-known trigger, and creates a very unhealthy environment, causing unnecessary illness. By reducing dampness in the air, by lowering condensation levels, and removing dust and pollen from the air, ventilation systems makes the air cleaner, and your family healthier.

Ventilation systems undoubtedly improve the quality of the air you breathe and can also save you a lot of money. One important thing to know about ventilation systems is that with regular use, comes the requirement to maintain it. Maintenance can include cleaning filters, and general servicing to clean and ensure the system is working to its full capacity. There are of course many other reasons you should service your ventilation system.

Here are 4 Reasons You Need Your Ventilation Systems Serviced:

Preventative maintenance

The thermostat that helps to monitor the temperatures of your home is a critical part of your heating, cooling and ventilation system, and without regular maintenance the thermostat can stop working at the capacity or stop working altogether. This can cause your home’s temperature to become out of balance, resulting in the loss of your preferred thermal comfort levels. Preventative maintenance will pick up any small thermostat issues early, allowing you to replace it before it is too late.

Dirty Filters

Regular maintenance includes the cleaning or replacement of dirty or faulty filters. Dirty filters mean air flow will be restricted and the air will not be cleaned as it should be. The only way to ensure the filters are doing the job they are designed for is through maintenance. Filters should be cleaned seasonally, and if you are in a dusty area, it might pay to purchase an extra set of filters to keep in clean storage to replace between seasonal servicing. Dirty filters also reduce the efficiency of the system, forcing the system to run harder and cost you more.

To Rectify Improper Installations or Imbalanced Dampers

Sometimes installation can be rushed or not correctly carried out for many reasons, however servicing your ventilation system allows the technician to find and repair any errors that were previously made upon installation or adjustments. Your ducting can often become unattached inside your roof or walls if it isn’t installed correctly, which can cost hundreds of dollars a year on air going inside your walls rather than where you need it to be.

Incorrectly balanced ducting can also lead to hot or cold spots in areas of the home and servicing the system can easily rectify this problem. Ducting balance can also be altered for the seasons. You house position has a big impact on how the heat is circulated through your home, and some parts are almost always hotter or colder than others naturally. Your service technician can alter the ducting and rebalance it to suit the seasons, to ensure your home is a consistent temperature throughout, all year round.

To Ensure It Runs at Optimum Capacity

For your system to run at its peak performance level, a service technician needs to be able to find and fix problems or faults. This enables your system to run at its best all year. Maintenance is a cost that you might be hesitant at paying for, however when you think about costs of maintenance versus costs of repairs, the money really is worth spending. Just like you service your car, you should service your ventilation system to prevent large costs when something breaks.

2016 is well underway! Whether you’ve kept up with your health, fitness and financial goals from the beginning of the year or not, make sure you take steps to care of your HVAC system! Take a look at some HVAC changes that are sure to improve the comfort and efficiency of your home!

Schedule annual maintenance.
HVAC systems require regular maintenance to improve their performance and efficiency. So remember to schedule your AC tune-up in the spring and furnace tune-up in the fall to help avoid performance problems and breakdowns over the course of the year.

Change your air filter regularly.
Regularly changing your air filter is the most important maintenance task you can perform to improve air quality, prevent breakdowns, and enhance the efficiency of your HVAC system. Remember to check and/or change your filter every month— if it looks dirty and clogged, it’s time to be replaced.

Use your programmable thermostat.
If you aren’t making the most of your programmable thermostat, then make it a priority this year. Programmable thermostats lessen the demand for heating and cooling, easing the load on your HVAC system. You can save up to 15% a year on your heating bill by turning back your programmable thermostat 10° to 15° for 8 hours a day.

Have your ductwork inspected?

Everyday living habits generate dust, dander and other air pollutants that are pulled into the HVAC system and re-circulated into our indoor air. So if you haven’t done so in the past 5 years, then schedule a professional air-duct inspection with your HVAC technician to remove the debris your vacuum cleaner hose can’t reach.

Get a home energy audit.
A home energy audit is a great way to find out how much energy you’re using as well as the efficiency of your home’s HVAC system. Your Comfort Advisor will evaluate how well your HVAC equipment heats and cools your home and recommend any changes needed in your attic insulation or ventilation.

Consider system upgrades.
Replacing your old HVAC System is a big investment, but it’s also the biggest step you can take to improve your home’s comfort, air quality, and energy efficiency. You can use this handy Energy Star checklist detailing tell-tale signs that it is time to replace your system with an Energy Star-approved system.

Otto’s Signature Series Equipment is manufactured for us in the USA in a state-of-the-art, ISO9001 certified manufacturing facility.

Installation. We use only new, first quality materials in our installations. Our courteous and respectful team of quality craftsmen employ the best practices so that your comfort system provides you with the comfort, efficiency and reliability that you deserve.

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