Preparing Your HVAC System for Washington’s Summer Heat
Gearing up for summer in Washington includes getting your air conditioner ready to battle the heat. An efficient and reliable air conditioner keeps your home cool and comfortable throughout the warmer months so that you can enjoy relaxing inside your home. For the best practices, follow these tips and keep your HVAC system running optimally all summer long.
What Can I Do Without Professional Help?
Although you’ll need our professional technicians for help with your HVAC system this spring, there are a few things you can do on your own to optimize your AC and keep it healthy. This includes changing air filters, keeping the outside unit clean and clear, and ensuring vents are clean and unobstructed.
How Often Should I Change Air Filters?
Air filters trap dust and debris so that your HVAC system can operate more efficiently without pollutants causing stress. Change your air filter at least once every three months or more often if it becomes dirty and full. Depending on your location, pollution may be heavier and require more frequent air filter changes.
How Do I Clean The Outside Unit?
The outside unit of your cooling system sits exposed to the elements at all times of the year. Dust, dirt, and debris may accumulate on and in the unit, causing added stress and issues with performance. You can keep this system clean by removing debris such as leaves and twigs from the top of the unit. Using your garden hose under gentle pressure, spray the outside of the unit. Do not spray water directly into the top of the unit while cleaning it. You should also create a 2-3 foot clearance around the unit.
What Maintenance Do My Vents Need?
Your air vents are crucial for the delivery of cold air through the house. Make sure all vents are open and unobstructed. Move furniture away from them far enough that air can circulate. Remove the vents and wipe them clean, ensuring they are sufficiently dry before replacing them. With the vents off, remove any debris and dust bunnies from the ducts.
What Is Professional Maintenance?
Professional maintenance involves our expert technicians performing a variety of tasks that help keep your HVAC system in optimal condition. During maintenance, we carefully assess your entire system and make any adjustments needed to preserve the parts inside the system and keep it clean.
Careful Inspection and Assessment
As part of annual maintenance, our technicians thoroughly inspect your HVAC system. We look for signs of improper functioning, excessive wear and tear that could indicate a further issue, and damage that could shut down your system. Through this inspection, we can take preventive action by replacing components and tuning certain parts, preventing a breakdown in the middle of summer.
Cleaning the System
As we work through your HVAC system, we take time and clear away dust and contaminants that accumulate inside. This helps reduce stress during operation and promotes better airflow for your home.
Lubricate Moving Parts
Some parts inside the HVAC system move during operation. These parts may rub against other components as they work. These parts and components require lubrication, preventing damage from friction as they move around.
Check and Fill Refrigerant
Refrigerant helps create cold air inside your air conditioner. Our technicians check the level of refrigerant inside your AC and fill it as needed. We also look for leaks in the system if the refrigerant level is low. Refrigerant continues to circulate and doesn’t get used up with use, so low levels may indicate that it leaks out somewhere. Leaking refrigerant is an environmental hazard and can be harmful to your health if you come in contact with it.
Clear Condensate Drain Line
The condensate drain line carries water from your air conditioner, keeping the water from damaging components inside the system. We check this line for cracks and leaks and make sure it isn’t clogged, which could result in a backup of water.
Assess Airflow
After we’ve done all the internal work, we then turn on the air conditioner and assess its operation. We check that you have adequate and even cold air flowing from the vents. Insufficient or uneven airflow leads to inefficient air conditioning and can create hot spots and discomfort in the house.
Check For Sounds and Smells
While the air conditioner blows, we listen for unusual sounds and sniff for strange odors. Any loud or strange noises may signal malfunctions within the system. Loose or damaged parts and refrigerant leaks may cause irregular sounds. Strange odors may also ring an alarm bell, indicating a need for repairs. Refrigerant leaks and contaminants inside the AC can cause foul odors.
What Benefits Come From Professional Maintenance?
Regular maintenance brings a handful of benefits for your HVAC system, home comfort, convenience, and budget:
Greater Reliability
Your HVAC system operates more reliably with regular maintenance. Our technicians carefully tune and adjust certain components inside the system, keeping these parts in good condition. We also clean the system and inspect for issues that could lead to unreliable service in the near future.
Improved Efficiency
A healthy and clean HVAC system consumes less energy than one that has been neglected. This lower energy consumption means you’ll see greater efficiency and lower cooling costs this summer.
Longer System Life
Your HVAC system lives longer with annual maintenance thanks to the diligent care of our technicians. Parts inside the system break down and fail less often with routine maintenance and your system experiences less stress and strain for a longer, healthier life.
Better Air Quality
Cleaning the HVAC system inside and out contributes to better air quality inside your home. By cleaning the system, we keep dust and allergens to a minimum, helping you breathe easier indoors.
What Else Can I Do to Prepare for Summer?
Aside from homeowner and professional maintenance tasks, there are a couple of other things you can do for a more comfortable home this summer:
Add Insulation
Insulation helps keep your cold air inside the house. With proper insulation, you can keep your home more comfortable and worry less about cold air escaping through the walls, attic, and other areas.
Window Sealing
Cracks and gaps around the windows allow air conditioning an escape route and let warm air into the house during summer. Sealing these gaps and cracks helps regulate temperature better and makes it easier to keep your home comfortable.
Check Out Our HVAC Maintenance Plan for Summer Comfort
At Revival Heating & Cooling, we offer unmatched quality in our maintenance plan. Our trusted technicians take extreme care and provide high-quality maintenance with the safety, efficiency, and reliability of your system in mind. Count on us for all your other HVAC services as well, including repairs and replacements. No matter what you need to stay cool this summer in your Washington home, we have you covered. Call Revival Heating & Cooling today for all your summer cooling needs in Vancouver, WA.