When April rolls around, it’s time to think spring cleaning! Some of the more obvious jobs on the household list include lawn maintenance, gardening, and cleaning out the garage. However, homeowners often overlook one of the most important tasks: a thorough inspection of their heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
Although some may feel they can take care of their heating and cooling system themselves, your spring HVAC maintenance plan should be left to professionals. A proper seasonal air conditioner tune-up should include a full cleaning and inspection of both the inside A-coil and the outdoor condenser. Many HVAC technicians have seen the damage mice and other animals can do to the wiring of an outdoor unit, and can properly troubleshoot and repair if necessary. Spiders also like to make nests in the units, causing contacts to lose their connectivity. Again, this is something best left to a professional to uncover and solve.
For a more thorough cleaning and inspection of your supply and return ducts, have them professionally cleaned. Ensure the contractor cleans the supply and return ducts. Vacuuming the grills is a start, but it will not remove any dust or allergens that are continually circulating through your system. Only a complete duct cleaning will address those problems. We recommend having ducts cleaned every three to five years, depending on environmental conditions such as the number of pets, renovations, etc.
If indoor air quality is a concern, you can replace your current furnace filter with a similar sized, upgraded filter that captures more particles. Another option is to upgrade to a wider media air cleaner, which can be up to 97 per cent more efficient at capturing airborne particles than a standard one-inch filter. An electronic air cleaner is a more expensive option; but when regularly maintained, these units get excellent results by using an electronic charge to collect up to 99 per cent of airborne particles.
Spring cleaning is all about creating a fresh, clean and clutter-free home environment. Imagine cleaning and organizing your home, top to bottom, only to sit down at the end to breathe in dirty air! A thorough HVAC system tune-up will give you cleaner indoor air this spring, for the freshest home environment.
Give Langton Mechanical a call for your HVAC system spring tune-up.