Cleaning Your HVAC System

Posted on: 11 October 2016

Although some homeowners with limited home maintenance budgets feel that preventative maintenance is a waste of time, it's actually essential for many parts of your home, such as your AC system. If your AC system fails in the middle of the summer, it can create an uncomfortable or even dangerous situation that could easily have been avoided for much less money than you'll probably need to spend on emergency repairs. Here are three reasons that it's really the wisest choice to have a professional checkup each year before summer starts.

1. You can get needed repairs out of the way easily In addition to being less advanced and therefore easier to fix than it would be if you waited until it caused system failure before repairing, any repair that's needed this summer will be easy and quick to fix if your technician is already at your house. He or she may be able to fix it on the spot or, if not, will probably be able to at least give you an estimate and make an appointment to repair it before the summer heat starts coming on in full strength. If you eschewed the annual checkup or tried to do it yourself, you wouldn't be in nearly such a good position regarding needed repairs.   

2. If you try to do the inspection yourself, it'll take much more time and effort Another problem with trying to inspect your own AC system is that, unless you have professional experience as an HVAC contractor, you're unlikely to be familiar with the process, meaning that you'll need to spend hours training yourself if you want to have a chance at doing it right. If your time is valuable to you, this could end up being significantly more expensive than having a technician handle the inspection.  

3. It may be actually illegal for you to service the unit yourself One common item on the annual maintenance checklist is checking and topping off the unit's refrigerant levels. But did you know that you have to be certified before you can purchase the common refrigerant? If your unit is a new, eco-friendly one, it may use a newer type of refrigerant that doesn't require certification for purchase but still requires it for handling. Instead of trying to get around the legal requirements, being unable to make sure your unit has the right amount of refrigerant in it, or even worse, recharging it illegally, you should just have a technician do the checkup so that your unit can get the refrigerant it needs.  

These three reasons show clearly why an AC technician is necessary for a good, reliable, and legal annual AC checkup. This doesn't mean your contribution to your AC unit's health should come only in the form of dollars, though; it's equally important to perform certain types of home maintenance on the unit throughout the year, such as replacing the AC filters so they don't become clogged.