Everything You Need to Know About Heating and AC Maintenance | Plano, TX
Photo By Pressmaster at Shutterstock
The heating and cooling systems in your Plano, TX, home cost a lot of money, so you need to make sure you’re always on top of routine maintenance. Not only does routine maintenance help you save money on your monthly power bill, it also ensures you don’t have to replace your heating or cooling system as often. The good news is, you don’t have to do a whole lot to keep your HVAC system in better shape. If you want to know more about heating and AC maintenance and how it can save you money and extend the life of your systems, here’s what you need to know.
Creating a Maintenance Schedule
The first thing you need to do if you want to take better care of your heating and AC is set up a maintenance schedule. Most experts will recommend you have your heating and cooling systems maintained twice a year, although you may need some additional work if you’ve never had a tune-up done.
If it hasn’t been too long since you had somebody take a look at your heating and cooling system, you can simply plan on having maintenance done during the fall and spring. This is when most professionals recommend you have your HVAC system tuned up during these months because that’s when you need heating and cooling the least.
While heating and AC maintenance is generally a pretty simple process, the amount of work you need done will ultimately be determined by how long it’s been since you’ve had a tune-up. Make sure you’re honest with your HVAC technician about how long it’s been since you’ve had your system tuned up so they know what to look for in terms of what might need to be cleaned or replaced.
Air Filters
One of the simplest things you can do to keep the heating and AC in your Plano, TX, home in good shape is to keep up with regular air filter changes. All the air that runs from your HVAC system into your home runs through an air filter, so that filter tends to get clogged and restrict airflow over time.
The biggest thing you’ll notice from having a dirty air filter is that your heating and cooling won’t work as well. Your furnace and AC need proper airflow to deliver warm or cool air to your home, so a dirty filter may leave you with an air conditioner that blows warm air. Even if your air filter isn’t halting your HVAC system, it’s still making it work a lot harder than it has to and shortening its life.
If you want your heating and AC to last, you should change your air filter every three months or so. You can find more specific recommendations from the manufacturer of the air filter you bought. However, one thing to keep in mind is that it’s never a bad idea to err on the side of caution.
The Little Things
While you should hire a heating and AC expert to handle most repairs and maintenance in your Plano, TX, home, there are some things you can do yourself to make sure you’re taking the best care of your HVAC system.
For starters, make sure the area around your furnace and air conditioning unit is clean. Not only can a buildup of debris in these areas cause a lot of problems with your heating and cooling systems, it can also be dangerous.
Another thing to remember is that the way you use your heating and cooling system has a big effect on how long you can expect it to last. As tempting as it might be to crank the heat up to 75 degrees on a frigid day, keeping your thermostat right around 68 all year long will save you a lot of money and keep your heating and AC in better shape.
Speaking of thermostats, make sure you keep an eye on yours. If you notice your heating or cooling is constantly on or the temperature in your home doesn’t seem to match what the thermostat says, you might be wasting money due to an inaccurate thermostat.
The Cost
Now that you understand how important heating and AC maintenance is and how you can keep up with it, the next step is to schedule an appointment. However, you’re probably wondering how much you’re going to have to pay to have the HVAC system in your Plano, TX, home tuned up a bit.
The good news is, most HVAC companies don’t charge a whole lot when it comes to tune-ups. Since seasonal maintenance doesn’t take a lot of time or require a lot of different parts, it’s not something you have to invest a lot of time or money in. Plus, many shops charge a flat-rate fee for maintenance services, which means you don’t have to worry about hourly rates potentially driving up the cost.
One thing to remember is that you may have to spend a little more on heating and AC maintenance depending on what you need done and how picky you are about the parts being used. For example, air filters are rated by their ability to filter contaminants, so you can spend a little more on your air filter if you want better indoor air quality.
Make the Call
As a homeowner, one of the most important things you can do is keep up with maintenance and repairs around the house. The fact of the matter is, heating and cooling maintenance is one of the biggest parts of that.
Lucky for you, taking care of your heating and AC is easy when you have One Hour Air Conditioning and Heating on your side. We have years of experience serving people in Plano, TX, and the surrounding areas, so we know how to get the job done. If you need to schedule an appointment to have your heating and cooling systems looked at, call us today at (817) 283-6911.