Has Your HVAC Been Serviced?

Your HVAC unit: chances are, it's not something you think about when it's working properly. When it stops working, on the other hand, you have serious problems on your hand! Has your HVAC unit been serviced? If not, it's time to schedule an appointment to have your unit serviced as soon as possible. 

Why Service Your HVAC Unit?

Climate control is top priority, especially in the middle of the hot summer months. You want to be sure that every member of your association is cool and comfortable when they're in community buildings. By servicing your HVAC unit, you ensure that you'll be able to keep your unit running effectively, and that any problems are spotted before your unit breaks down in the middle of the summer. Not only that, in many cases, servicing your unit will allow you to spot problems before they become more serious. Servicing your HVAC unit will also help it run more efficiently. 

What Can You Do On Your Own to Keep Your Unit Running?

While the best way to keep your HVAC unit running smoothly is to contact a professional to evaluate your system and follow their suggestions, there are several things you can do to keep your HVAC unit running more effectively. 

• Keep debris away from your unit. Ideally, you should have two feet clear around the unit in order to allow it to run freely.
• Make sure that interior filters are replaced at a minimum of every 90 days. If there are heavy pollen or dust considerations, replace filters more often.
• Turn the water off on your furnace humidifier during the hot summer months. 

How Often Should You Have Your HVAC Unit Checked?

Ideally, you should have your HVAC unit inspected every year. An annual inspection will allow you to make sure that no problems have developed over the course of the last year and set you up for success throughout the hot summer months. If you're able, have your HVAC unit inspected before the beginning of summer. If that's not possible, schedule an inspection as soon as possible! Note that if you start having problems with your unit, you should go ahead and schedule an inspection. The longer you wait to take care of any problems, the more severe the problem may become. 

How Important is Cleaning the System?

As part of your annual HVAC maintenance, it's important to make sure that the system gets a thorough cleaning. Cleaning ensures that every part of the system is running at peak efficiency, rather than courting problems. For example, dirty, clogged water lines can lead to flooding throughout your building--and that's the last thing you want to deal with! A dirty evaporator coil, on the other hand, may make your HVAC unit work considerably harder to cool the building, which will result in increased energy bills and may cause your unit to burn out faster. It's important, however, to be sure that your unit is cleaned by a professional: if you try to do it yourself, you may create more problems with the system than you're able to solve on your own, leading to greater expense when you have to call in a professional and rising temperatures in your building while you wait for them to arrive.

Keeping your HVAC unit functioning at peak efficiency is an ongoing process. Fortunately, with proper maintenance, you can keep your unit running its best. Your annual inspections are one of the key elements to keeping your HVAC unit running for years to come, avoiding higher maintenance costs down the road and even a potentially expensive replacement. Don't put off HVAC maintenance! Instead, schedule your annual maintenance and evaluation as soon as possible.