“Is it really necessary to have semiannual HVAC maintenance? It cools. So, it must be working correctly!” Well, folks, does your car run with dirty oil that hasn’t been changed in 20,000 miles? Sure it will run. However, you are shortening the life of your engine and it’s operating inefficiently.
The same is true for your air conditioning system. Every year that your system operates causes degradation of certain wear components – contactors and capacitors. These components should be monitored and replaced as they fall from outside tolerance specifications. A pitted contactor causes undue stress on the compressor. If pitted enough, there will be a serious voltage drop causing high energy consumption and eventual early life failure. The same is true for capacitors. These little “batteries” allow the motors to run efficiently. Once outside their normal values, the motors are inefficient, draw more power, and ultimately fail.
A cooling season tuneup also includes a good outside coil washing and system monitoring. A biodegradable coil cleanser will loosen the dirt and debris and allow the technician to flush the coil with water. Spraying from the outside in is not recommended as it further impacts the debris.
The bottom line: maintenance is important and should be done every cooling season to insure optimum performance and a longer life for your air conditioning system.
Call us for your Semi-annual Maintenance service beginning at $79. VanKleef Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc. 812-280-0510
Blog
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Spring HVAC Maintenance
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Benefits of Keeping Your Home Ductwork Clean
Ahhh, breathing in a breath of fresh air. Its refreshing. Its even invigorating to take in the crispness of a beautiful day and be filled with energy. But what if the clean air we breathe was replaced by dirty, dusty, contaminated air that clogged our airway and never got cleaned out? We wouldn’t last long.
Heating and air conditioning systems operate similarly to that of our own lungs. They take in all the elements in the air and in order to recycle it cleanly, they need attention and maintenance; otherwise, they will just spit back out the impurities they are fed.
There are two main reasons to maintain and clean your ductwork at home. You can probably guess what the first one is:
Air Quality In a six-room home, up to 40 pounds of dust is created annually through every day living. Dander, dust, and chemicals collect and are pulled in through your ductwork and re-circulated 5-7 times a day. Eventually, they collect and compound and what you have lurking in your vents and ductwork is a massive clump of dust and contaminants. As your furnace continues to operate, it must push through these elements that often get sent back into your home. This can cause extreme health problems for people with respiratory issues, autoimmune diseases, and allergies. It also creates a struggle for your system to operate, which leads us to the next reason.
Energy Savings The U.S. Department of Energy estimates the 25-40% of energy used for heating and cooling is wasted because it is not used efficiently. Having contaminants clogging your system causes it to work harder to maintain your desired indoor home temperature. Working harder to do its job causes strain on the system and shortens the life of your HVAC unit. Air filters help to a point, but they can’t eliminate everything.
Cleaning ductwork places a continuous negative pressure with a vacuum inside the ductwork, which prevents the spreading of contaminants that are present. Fine particles are removed so that they don’t become airborne back into your home.
Give your Kentuckiana HVAC a clean bill of health and a breath of fresh air by scheduling your next ductwork cleaning. We can recommend a local company that will keep your air clean and your HVAC system running smoothly. -
What You and Your Technician Should be Doing to Keep Your Furnace in Check
Think of it like a relay. One runner hands the baton off to the other and together they finish the race. Although there are huge expectations of the first runner to come out of the gate on fire, all the runners are important. That’s basically the role you play with your heating and cooling professionals.
When you hire a professional to service your heating and cooling system, safety is the most important benefit you receive when a certified technician takes over. However, as a homeowner, your responsibilities to maintain your system will boost the results of a professional service.
Servicing your furnace this winter is extremely important. Without regular maintenance your heating components wear out sooner which leads to breakdowns or even system failure. This can be avoided with regular tune-ups.
When you schedule your next tune-up here are several things to make sure your technician evaluates.- Check the duct work for leaks and seal if necessary
- Test the air flow through the heating system and ducts
- Calibrate the thermostat
- Clean burners
- Check heat exchanger
- Verify vent system safety
- Check gas pressure
- Test for correct refrigerant charge and heat pump leaks
- Lubricate moving parts
- Check system controls to make sure cooling mode is locked out during heating mode
- Inspect motor belts and bearings
- Check electrical terminals
Throughout the year, your job as a homeowner is to:
- Change the air filter when it appears dingy or dirty
- Keep debris away from the outdoor unit, ensuring proper air flow
- Check that your indoor supply vents and return grills are unobstructed
If any of these areas get neglected, you risk system failure or even break down. The big difference is, with a cooling system the air just doesn’t cool. With a heating system or furnace, even if it is broken, it can continue to produce heat, even if the heat exchange is cracked or the flue is broken, still allowing deadly carbon monoxide fumes to enter your home.
Keeping the proper relay team in place working together, you can be very confident in extending the life of your heating and cooling system, achieving peak comfort and ensuring safe operation of your furnace this winter. -
Electrical Mistakes That Cost You Money
It’s wintertime in Kentuckiana and that means higher heating bills for most of us. Our HVAC units are working overtime and it might feel like you’re just throwing money out the window when the utility bill arrives each month.
We can all stand to save a little money here and there, and that may be possible by making a few simple changes. There are many things we can do inside the house to save money on electricity. Most of them are simple practices that just require discipline and a little effort. Here are the most important.- Running Ceiling Fans – This is the number one offender of wasting electricity. Ceiling fans use an incredible amount of electricity and most of the time they are kept running non-stop even when nobody is in the room. The solution is simple. Flip the switch. Turn off the fan when you leave the room or invest in a timer that is programmable.
- TV watching – Even though a television gives off a more evident signal of being in use, televisions are still regularly left on when not being watched. Usually, multiple televisions are running at once and not being watched. The second biggest waste of energy is televisions running endlessly. When not being watched, they should be turned off and for ultimate conservation, put on a power strip. When not in use televisions still use energy, so place them on a power strip and turn that off when not in use.
- Lights – This is common sense, but not common practice. Lights inside and outside the house are left on when not necessary causing needless energy use and expense. For optimal usage put lights on a motion sensor or a timer.
- HVAC and Bathroom Fans – Never leave a bathroom fan running for more than 30 minutes, it’s not necessary. Also in the fan department, check your thermostat setting and make sure it is set on “auto” not “on” or your HVAC will run continuously.
- Light Bulbs – Lots of debate still lingers over which light bulbs to use, but CFL and LED bulbs are much more energy efficient than incandescent bulbs. The prices are coming down and the quality continues to go up, so make the switch. It will pay off.
Keep your energy costs under control this winter by making a habit of turning off unused appliances, lights, and fans.
Call VanKleef Heating and Air Conditioning (812) 280-0510 for all your furnace repair in Southern Indiana and Louisville, KY. -
How to Extend the Life Span of Your HVAC System
The homeowner’s manual for giving your HVAC system a longer life is a short one. It can actually be summed up in just one word: maintenance. That’s the secret. Maintain your equipment by monitoring its performance and scheduling routine check-ups by a HVAC technician.
As a homeowner, your job is to create an environment that is conducive to extending the life of your system. A large part of that responsibility includes scheduling regular tune-ups from your local HVAC company. These tune-ups are critical in detecting potential problems and repairing existing ones. Your check-up takes care of three critical areas of maintenance.
Dirt Build Up – Your technician will remove dirt build up from the heat pump, furnace or central air. Any dirt build up leads to serious problems. Dirt on the coils slows down heat transfer and the unit’s ability to heat, cool and dehumidify. Dirt on the fan blades will create an imbalance and poor air delivery. All of these issues will cause increased energy consumption and higher utility bills.
Replacement –Worn parts can be replaced before wear and tear causes a complete break down. Technicians are trained to detect worn belts, low lubrication and rapid deterioration. Replacing worn components wards off system failure and ensures efficient system operation.
Air Filters- Although some homeowners take care of air filter replacement routinely, a service visit can also ensure that the filters are clean and that the rest of the equipment is protected from airborne dirt. Scheduled preventative maintenance keeps you ahead of the game.
By maintaining your HVAC regularly you will energize your system and possibly extend its life span. According to a report by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development given by manufacturers and industry experts, with good maintenance, you should expect the following from your system:- Central Air 15 years
- Furnace 18 years
- Air Source Heat Pump 15 years
For a small investment, you can receive a huge return.
Invest the time to schedule your regular tune-up from your local HVAC company.
Call VanKleef Heating and Air Conditioning (812) 280-0510 for your furnace maintenance and repair. We serve the Southern Indiana and surrounding counties, and including Greater Louisville .
