Practical HVAC Tips for Homeowners
For most homeowners, maximizing the performance of their air conditioning system is a goal that can make the home more comfortable as well as reduce the total costs of operating and maintaining the home's HVAC system.
Understand The Impacts Ducting Damage Could Create
If your home's HVAC system's ducting becomes damaged, it can have severe impacts on the performance of the entire system. Homeowners may assume that issues with the ducting will only cause problems for the areas that are immediately served by the ducting. However, this can actually throw off the balancing of the entire HVAC system. As a result, you may notice a decrease in performance in rooms that are relatively far from the damaged section of ducting.
Repairing damaged ducting can be possible, but it will typically require a professional's assistance. Without a professional technician leading this repair, it could be extremely hard to reach the area where the damage is located, and incorrectly installed patches are unlikely to remedy the issue.
Prep The Systems Before Using Them
Taking a few moments to prepare your home's heating and cooling systems before using them each year can be important for preserving the lifespan of these systems while also ensuring that they will work as efficiently and effectively as possible the first time that you turn them on.
Typically, this process will involve thoroughly cleaning the HVAC unit so that as much of the dust is removed as possible. Additionally, any air filters should be replaced. While a homeowner may assume that the air filter will not need to be replaced when the unit has been dormant for many months, it is still possible for fairly large amounts of dust to collect on the filter.
Pay Attention To The Odors Coming From The HVAC System
If your HVAC unit starts to malfunction, it may produce odors that can help you identify the potential problem with the system. For example, if your heating unit starts to produce a burning smell, it could indicate that a large amount of dust was on the burner when the system activated, or it could indicate a fault that is causing the burner to ignite the fuel improperly. Musty smelling air coming from the vents of the air conditioning system may indicate that mold colonies are growing somewhere in the system. Often, these colonies will be found in the ducting, but it is possible for them to also develop inside the HVAC unit itself.
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