Extend the Life of Your HVAC System with This Monthly HVAC Maintenance Checklist

With proper care, an HVAC system can thrive for up to 15 years. Just like most other things, this is only possible with proper care and maintenance. At Bell Brothers, we recommend at least  twice yearly tune-ups, but did you know there are other things you can do to ensure your HVAC system stays in tip-top shape? There are a few easy things you can do from home that will extend the life of your heating and cooling system. As an added bonus, these things won’t take too long or require too much effort. For your ease and comfort, read on for our monthly HVAC maintenance checklist.

Check Your Outdoor Unit

When you’re outside working on your yard, there’s no excuse not to do a quick visual inspection of your outdoor condenser. When looking over your condenser, there are a few things you should watch for. First, make sure there’s no visible debris around the fan or the coils. Things like leaves and sticks can get into your unit and cause some crazy noises or even expensive damage. If you see something, pull it out; if it’s stuck, call one of our professionals to help get it out. Next, check for any issues with the condenser coil. If you see any of the fins are crushed, broken, or out of alignment, it’s time to call an HVAC expert at Bell Brothers. The last thing you should do is check out the refrigerant lines. These lines move refrigerant from the air conditioner to the indoor coil and should have insulation around them to prevent condensation and water damage. If you notice the insulation is torn or damaged, it needs to be fixed.

Landscape Around Your Condenser

After you do a visual check of your condenser, survey the area around it. Are plants growing too close to it? Are tree branches falling on the condenser itself? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, it’s time to do some pruning. It’s a general rule that plants should be 2-3 feet from your condenser. Also, it’s bad form to have any low hanging branches around your condenser. Any branches should be at around 6-8 feet above the condenser.

Check All the Batteries

Don’t sacrifice safety and comfort to low battery levels. While you’re performing monthly HVAC maintenance, don’t forget to check your thermostat, carbon monoxide detector, and smoke detectors. The carbon monoxide and smoke detectors need full batteries to keep you safe. A thermostat needs full batteries to keep you comfortable. A thermostat that’s running low on batteries can easily malfunction, causing disruptions in your air flow.

Inspect the Air Filter

At Bell Brothers, we recommend changing your air filter every 90 days but it never hurts to check your filter every month. Depending on different factors, such as if you have pets or suffer from allergies, you may need to change your filters more frequently. If your filter is accessible, just pull it out, and see how it looks. As Californians, we deal with some interesting weather and natural occurrences; think, fire season. When the air is more polluted than normal, it’s important to make sure your air filter is still catching air contaminants and keeping your family safe.

Dust Around Your Vents

This is perhaps the easiest thing you could do. A simple dusting around the vents in your home can do wonders for your indoor air quality. Over time, dust can build up around your vents, then circulate through your home. A quick dusting will stop this from happening. Also, keep an eye on how much dust is around your vents. If you’re seeing an excessive amount, it could mean that it’s time to change your air filter.

Save the Bell Brothers’ Number in Your Phone

While you’re tending to your monthly HVAC maintenance, don’t forget to save our phone number! If you run across any problems with your AC, heating, plumbing, and even windows; we’re here to help. Call the number at the top of the screen to schedule an appointment and one of our experts will be at your home as soon as possible. We happily serve homes in our Sacramento, Stockton, and Vacaville communities. Don’t delay, call us today; or click here to request an appointment online.