Tips to Prepare your Air Ducts for the Spring
The spring weather is starting to creep into parts of the country which means it won’t be long before many turn off their heat for the year and start running their air conditioners. However, before you run your air conditioner for the first time after running the heat all winter, you must prepare your HVAC system to cool your home efficiently with spring HVAC maintenance. The air conditioning is important for creating a comfortable environment in your home during the hottest days of the summer and performing these spring maintenance tips will help your air conditioner run smoothly and efficiently all season.
Replace the Air Filter
Changing the air filter for your air conditioner can improve your cooling efficiency and indoor air quality.
Replacing the air filters is an easy form of maintenance that should be done at least twice a year, once before you begin running the heat for the winter and once before starting your air conditioner for the summer. It is generally recommended to check your air filters every 30 days or so as you may need to replace them more frequently if they gather a lot of dust and debris. New air filters will help improve the air quality of your home and they are affordable and easy to replace without professional assistance.
Preventative Maintenance
The time in between seasons is a great time to do some preventative maintenance on your HVAC system to prevent breakdowns when your heating or cooling is needed the most. Make sure you inspect the air ducts and component parts and either clean or replace the parts where necessary. Hiring a professional to provide air duct cleaning services is a very effective way to provide preventative maintenance for your HVAC system. These professionals will thoroughly clean the air ducts and component parts and replace worn out parts before they malfunction or cause damage that is expensive to repair.
Inspect Air Duct Sealing
Effective air duct sealing is important for maintaining the efficiency of your HVAC system and keeping your heating and cooling bills at an acceptable level. It is most effective to hire a professional to inspect the duct sealing because they can test for leaks with a pressure test and repair any leaks they find.
Programmable Thermostat
Programmable thermostats allow you to schedule the times during the day when your air conditioner runs to save energy.
Traditional thermostats allow you to set a temperature for your heating and cooling and the system will run continuously, 24 hours a day to try and maintain that temperature. A programmable thermostat allows you to schedule when the heating and cooling runs so that you will not be using energy to heat or cool your home when you are away at work or out of town. If you are still using a traditional thermostat, switching over to a programmable thermostat could help reduce your heating and cooling bills by 10 percent or more.
Energy Saving Improvements
While the HVAC maintenance tips mentioned above are the most effective way to improve the efficiency and functionality of your HVAC system, there are other things you can do around your house to help improve your cooling efficiency. Keeping the temperature low in your home throughout the summer will cause the air conditioner to run less and lower your cooling costs. Installing a ceiling fan is an effective way to help cool a room while using less energy than the air conditioner, and limiting the amount of direct sunlight entering your home can also cool down your home by as much as 20 percent.
When you decide to turn off your heat for the season, make sure you follow these spring HVAC maintenance tips to get the system ready to cool your home efficiently. Many of these maintenance tips can be done without professional assistance but you should not hesitate to call a professional if you cannot handle one of these tasks yourself. Hiring a professional to provide air duct cleaning services is a good idea after your home has been closed up all winter to remove the built up dust and debris and improve your energy efficiency. The average air duct cleaning cost is between $300 and $500 and these service can usually be done within 3 hours.
About Vince Sandri
Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.
