The new year is nearly here! A New Year usually signifies a fresh start for the 12 months ahead that you can use to your advantage.
As such, each year, more than 40 percent of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, resolutions to lose weight, get healthier, earn more money, learn something new, travel, and the list goes on. And while most resolutions might have more to do with one of those things we mentioned above, our HVAC experts at Delaware Heating & Air encourage you to add just one more resolution to your list – for you and your home’s sake. Below are 10 simple HVAC resolutions for 2020.
Simple Resolutions
1. Choose to use a more productive quality of air filter for your HVAC system next year. It will significantly enhance your air quality inside. These new, advanced high-efficiency pleated filters have a charge that functions as an electromagnet to capture the tiniest pollutants from your air — especially those that carry bacteria. Just be sure to check it at least every three months and replace it.
2. Examine the spaces encompassing your external AC system, and heat pumps to be sure you have at least two feet of space surrounding them.
3. Collect any trash, grass, pollen, leaves, twigs, and any other yard waste from the top, bottoms, and sides of your AC units and heat pumps. Make sure you are throwing it away from the unit. Try doing this at least once a week throughout the spring, summer, and fall. Also, throughout the summer, when you are mowing your lawn, keep an eye on your lawnmower to make sure it isn’t throwing any grass clippings near your unit.
4. Regularly check the insulation on your refrigerant lines that are going into your home. If the insulation on those lines is missing or if it’s been damaged, have them replaced promptly.
5. A New Year is a great reminder to ensure your system is still on a solid and level surface. Each year, be sure that your exterior air-conditioning units and heat pumps are still resting level on firm and stable earth or pads. If they aren’t, give us a call.
6. Stop clogs from originating or forming in your drain. One way to do so is to locate your condensate drains and empty some bleach and water mix through them. Do this regularly. It should prevent the spread of mold and algae, a usual reason for clogs.
7. During the warmer part of the year, shut off the supply of water to your furnace humidifier. After the weather cools down, shortly before you turn on the back heat, get a new humidifier wick filter. Once you get one, set the humidistat to between 35 to 40 percent relative humidity. After that, before finishing up, turn back on the supply of water.
8. How many of your home’s registers are closed off? Hopefully, not too many. Make sure you don’t close more than 20 percent of them. Keeping them unblocked will prevent stress on your HVAC system. Also, it’ll guarantee proper airflow throughout your home, helping you to maintain a stabilized temperature.
9. We can’t stress this one too much. Substitute the batteries in your home’s smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector on an annual basis. Check them more often than that, but replace them at least once a year.
10. Now for the one we recommend the most.
Because most home systems have heating and air conditioning, we strongly suggest homeowners schedule routine HVAC system checkups twice a year. For your home’s cooling equipment, having a pro come out in the spring will prevent breakdowns. For your home’s heating system equipment, another checkup is necessary in the fall. It spares you money and headaches in the long run and also limits expensive maintenance and breakdowns.
One of the most important elements of preventative maintenance is getting the best contractor with the right talents and expertise for the job. We at Delaware Heating & Air believe we are that contractor. Just ask one of our customers or check us out on Google.
We would love to hear from you. Call us today at 740-227-8302 or schedule an appointment online now at https://www.delawareairandheat.com/schedule-now/.
Thanks, and Happy New Year!
