When it’s hot outside, nothing feels better than that refreshing, cool air that greets you when you enter your home at the end of a long day. Same with the comfort of listening to the rain pattering on your roof while relaxing inside your warm house on a cold and rainy night.
On the other hand, it feels horrible to come home to a hot and sticky house in the summer or a freezing house in the winter if your home HVAC system fails. It feels like a betrayal, an unspoken contract your heating and cooling system has cruelly broken. It usually happens on a Friday night, after a hard day at work or when you have guests for dinner.
Luckily, you can easily reduce the odds of your home becoming a jungle or tundra by getting regular air conditioning servicing from a reputable home heating & air-conditioning specialist. Routine HVAC maintenance extends the life of your system, keeps it running efficiently and helps to ensure that your home is always comfortable—just the way you like it! Here are a few tips and guidelines about HVAC system maintenance to consider as you start this great new habit.
Air conditioning Servicing Calendar: Spring and Fall
Your home heating and cooling system gets its biggest workout in the summer and winter, so it makes sense to ensure it’s running at its best well before the summer heat and the winter cold arrive. Don’t wait till the last minute, when home maintenance companies get busy. Otherwise, you may have to wait for an available appointment.
For those of us living in western Washington, it’s a good idea to schedule air conditioning servicing in March, April, or May. And to prepare your heating system for the long, wet winter ahead, aim for a maintenance visit in September, October or November.
Pro tip #1: Though it may be tempting, don’t skip the fall visit from an HVAC professional. Seattle’s long, chilly winters put extra strain on your system, and you don’t want to be left with a cold, damp house!
Pro tip #2: If your home has a heat pump, plan on scheduling quarterly visits for service. Why? Since heat pumps work year-round, providing both cooling and heating, they benefit from more frequent care.
Stay Cool: an Air Conditioning Servicing Checklist
A professional HVAC service and maintenance technician performs “head-to-toe” care for your air-conditioning system, which may include:
- Replacing or cleaning air filters
- Cleaning condenser coils and evaporator coils
- Checking refrigerant levels and pressure
- Inspecting and cleaning the blower motor and other components
- Lubricating moving parts
- Inspecting insulation on refrigerant lines
- Testing your thermostat and recalibrating it, if needed
- Flushing and cleaning your system’s condensate drain line
- Checking the fan motor and compressor operation
- Inspecting ductwork for debris and leaks
- Checking the safety of electrical connections
Feel the Warmth: a Checklist for a Reliable Furnace
Just as HVAC service professionals perform comprehensive air conditioning servicing in the spring, they can help you get ready for a safe and warm winter by:
- Replacing or cleaning air filters
- Inspecting and cleaning burners and the heat exchanger
- Checking gas systems for carbon monoxide leaks
- Testing thermostat accuracy and settings
- Inspecting your flue and vents for blockages or corrosion
- Lubricating your blower motor and other moving parts
- Checking electrical connections for safety
- Inspecting ductwork for leaks, mold or insulation issues
- Cleaning the condensate drain and pan
- Testing your system’s startup and shutdown cycles
Keep Your Eyes Open Through Every Season
In between professional visits for air conditioning servicing and heating maintenance, there are things you can do to keep your home HVAC system running smoothly and efficiently:
- Watch for warning signs of impending problems, such as unusual noises, weak airflow, musty smells or an unexpected rise in your energy bills. If you notice any of these issues, call your HVAC service provider immediately.
- Regularly check for debris around your outdoor unit and clear it away. In northwest Washington, that means things like leaves, pine needles, and moss, which can block airflow to your system.
- Ask your home HVAC professional if you should change your system’s air filter more often than just when they visit.
Save the Day with a Service Contract
Routine air conditioning servicing and furnace maintenance are key to a reliable, long-lasting system. One of the best ways to stay on top of your system’s service and maintenance schedule, save money, and maximize the value of your investment is to purchase a service contract. For a modest fee, these contracts typically include:
- Scheduled preventive maintenance. A regular, seasonal tune-up will keep your HVAC system running in tip-top shape and help to ensure that small problems don’t balloon into big, expensive issues that may even require the purchase of a new unit. In the rainy Puget Sound region, these routine services also help to prevent damage from mold and mildew in ductwork and coils.
- Priority service. Timely service appointments can be hard to get during peak heating and cooling seasons. Most service contracts give customers priority status for booking heating and air conditioning servicing appointments.
- Discounts on repairs and/or parts. Your service contract may save you even more money by reducing the cost of materials, labor, and/or emergency charges.
Don't Wait For A Breakdown!
Universal Refrigeration: Your Go-To Professionals for Air Conditioning Servicing and More
Since 1985, Universal Refrigeration has served the residents of northwest Washington, offering residential air conditioning and heating solutions, ductless systems and heat pumps, as well as commercial heating, air conditioning and refrigeration. Our pledge is to provide the highest-quality services with hard work, honesty and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
Our broad service area includes the cities of Auburn, Kent, Bremerton, Tacoma, Renton and Federal Way, encompassing King, Pierce, Thurston, Lewis, Kitsap and southern Snohomish counties.
Universal Refrigeration service technicians are available to serve you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call us at 253.364.5326 or schedule an appointment online.
