The HVAC system in your home is a huge investment. That’s why it’s important to make sure that it’s always in good working order. Having an HVAC maintenance plan is a great way to keep your system running at peak performance and avoid costly repairs down the road. Here are 5 reasons you need to consider getting an HVAC maintenance plan:
Early Problem Detection
When it comes to HVAC systems, early problem detection is crucial. It means catching potential issues before they become a major repair bill or cause your family serious health risks. It also means avoiding problems that could lead to expensive replacements or repairs down the road, like carbon monoxide leaks. The good news is that smart analytics can be used to detect faults and problems in their earliest stages. This enables technicians to prevent breakdowns and reduce energy usage by 5-15%. This is a great advantage to anyone who wants their home or office to operate at peak efficiency and minimize their monthly utility bills. Especially if you have a young family or live in a climate where weather can be unpredictable, having an HVAC maintenance plan is essential to ensuring your system runs at its best.
Improved Energy Efficiency
When it comes to heating and cooling your home, it’s important that you have a system that can operate at peak efficiency. This can reduce your energy bills and keep you comfortable year-round. HVAC systems often require periodic inspections and maintenance to keep them running at optimal performance. Performing these tasks on a regular basis can help you save money on your energy bills and increase the lifespan of your HVAC system. When it comes to the air conditioning portion of your HVAC system, one of the most important steps is cleaning the coils. This ensures that the coils are free of dust and other debris that can reduce airflow and affect your system’s effectiveness.
Priority Service
When you sign up for a maintenance plan, you get priority service when it comes to HVAC issues. This is a big deal when you need air conditioning or heating urgently and want to avoid waiting in line for an appointment. A maintenance plan can also save you money in other ways. For example, many plans offer discounts on diagnostics and repairs that you might not otherwise get. In addition, most plans offer perks for joining the maintenance program, such as discounted rates for diagnostics and emergency services on weekends and holidays. This is especially important if you have young children or elderly family members who are prone to heat exhaustion in extreme temperatures.
Discounts On Repairs
When an HVAC maintenance plan is in place, you can get discounts on repairs that you might otherwise have to pay a lot for. Typically, these savings will come in the form of parts and labor discounts. These can add up to a substantial amount over time. Especially when you consider that most manufacturers require proof of annual maintenance before issuing an equipment warranty. Getting an HVAC service contract is one of the best ways to make sure your system stays in optimal condition and runs at peak efficiency for as long as possible. In addition, it can help you save money on energy bills year-round.
Maintain Equipment Warranty
Keeping up with annual maintenance of your equipment can help you avoid having to void your warranty in the future. Often, manufacturers will ask for documentation that your HVAC system has had routine maintenance performed, and neglecting this maintenance can have serious consequences. In many cases, your HVAC warranty can be void if you skip regular maintenance or use off-brand parts on your HVAC unit. For example, if you buy parts from an un-reputable company and install them on your unit, the manufacturer will not be able to guarantee that their product is working properly.
As a homeowner, one of the best things you can do is familiarize yourself with the equipment that powers your home. In this instance, we are talking about your HVAC system. While it may not power the home itself, it does keep you comfortable throughout the year. Taking the time to get to know your HVAC system (as well as other systems in the home) will allow you to better understand potential issues and take care of them.
#1: Clean Your Filters to Maintain Efficiency
Many homeowners fail to properly clean or replace their HVAC system air filters. These filters will not work efficiently once they become dirty. A dirty air filter will cause the system to work overtime to maintain the level of comfort you desire. It can also make your utility bills climb steadily. Clean your air filters at least once every three months to maintain system efficiency.
#2: Keep Your Air Vents Open To Reduce System Stress
A common question homeowners have regarding their HVAC system is “Does closing air vents redirect airflow?” It is often assumed that you can redirect the airflow of your HVAC system by closing off any air vents you don’t need currently. However, this will actually not redirect cool or warm air to other vents in the home. Instead, it adds stress to the system, which increases the overall risk of problems and the need for maintenance and repair.
#3: Maintain the Ducts
The ducting is an important part of the HVAC system that many homeowners tend to overlook. When ducts are not properly maintained, they may start leaking, resulting in 20 to 40% of energy waste. Sealing the ductwork can prevent leakage while reducing the overall stress on the HVAC system.
#4: Add Filters to Return Vents
As a general rule, the HVAC equipment itself is the only part of the system that includes an air filter. However, it is actually recommended that your return vents have an appropriately sized air filter. This is especially true for ceiling vents, but what do filters do in the ceiling? These filters will work alongside the main air filter to improve indoor air quality and protect the system from hair, dust, pet dander, pollen, and other contaminants.
#5: Schedule Routine Maintenance With a Licensed HVAC Technician
Routine maintenance of your HVAC system is a necessity for its longevity and efficiency. However, it is important to only work with a licensed and skilled HVAC technician with the knowledge, experience, and certifications to perform heating and cooling work.
Trust Our Saint Louis HVAC Professionals
If you need an HVAC system check-up, maintenance, or repair, contact the professional and licensed team at Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling in Saint Louis, MO.
The warmer climates are often associated with beautiful flowers, barbecues, and uncountable outdoor activities. However, the hotter days can quickly become uncomfortable if you’re not prepared with adequate cooling techniques. For most people, the air conditioner seems to be the perfect cooling solution. If left to operate for long hours, your AC can quickly double or triple your utility bills. While it’s still among the best cooling solutions, you might want to learn how to save energy while keeping your home cool. Here are some of the tips we thought you should try.
Close the Windows During the Day and Open Them at Night
Windows allow sunlight and infrared heat into your home during the day. To allow ventilation into your home and keep the heat out, consider opening your windows in the morning, evening, and night. Use blinds to keep the sun out during the day. You can also buy window coverings that block the sun’s rays and use light-colored curtains that don’t absorb heat.
Cook Outdoors
Cooking, particularly grilling, can make cooling your home more challenging during the hot season. The heat produced spreads to the adjacent rooms, which leads to more air conditioner usage. To avoid overworking your AC and fans, start cooking outdoors. Spring and summer evenings offer an excellent opportunity to enjoy barbecues while having a great time with family and friends. You can even use charcoal and save electricity.
Use a Programmable Thermostat
One of the biggest mistakes people make leading to high energy bills is setting their thermostats colder than normal when they first turn on the air conditioner. Colder settings won’t cool your home faster. You’re simply overworking it, which eventually leads to excessive cooling and high power usage. Using a programmable thermostat allows you to turn your air conditioner on and off depending on where you’re. Smart thermostat settings for spring use your location to know where you’re and determine whether to turn the AC on or off.
Use Fans and Other Natural Methods To Cool Your Home
If you have trees providing shade to your home, your home is likely cooler than those receiving direct sunlight. If you have shade on a section of the house, you can use fans to direct the cold air to the warmer rooms. Turn off the lights during the day, take advantage of natural light, and seal all window and door cracks to ensure no hot air or cold air is going in or out.
Service Your Air Conditioner
One of the best ways to keep your energy costs down is by servicing your air conditioner. In fact, it should be on your priority list during spring cleaning. Routine maintenance of your AC helps prolong its lifespan and reduce the chances of costly repairs. When the AC is functioning optimally, it cools your home effectively, cutting your energy bills by 15 percent. You can hire HVAC professionals to inspect, repair, and replace parts to ensure the unit uses as little energy as required.
Need to make your air conditioner more energy efficient in Saint Louis, MO? The Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling can help you save energy and keep your AC running efficiently throughout the seasons. For tune-ups, repairs, installations, and replacements, call us on (314) 835-1770, and we will be happy to help.
Fall is in full swing, and that means the weather is only going to get colder from here on out. With this change in temperature comes a change in how you use your thermostat, as well as a change in your energy bill.
But staying warm doesn’t have to mean paying out the nose for heating costs! There are some things you can do to save money on your heating bill and still stay warm when the fall weather starts to dip into the chill zone.
Here are some fall money-saving tips, including how to adjust your thermostat setting to save money.
Program your thermostat
When nobody is home, do you really need to keep the house warm? Especially if everyone’s out during the day, there’s no reason to keep the heater running all the time. If you have a programmable thermostat, it might make sense for you to have it turned down during the day and have it kick on just before your family usually starts to arrive back home.
You can lower the thermostat by 10 or 15 degrees during the day, and the house will not get too cold. By doing this, you’ll save around 10 percent annually on heating costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. This works best if you have gas heating; if you have an electric heat pump, try lowering it less (about 3 to 4 degrees) for best results.
Smart thermostats
One type of programmable thermostat is a smart thermostat. While a programmable thermostat is nice, it requires you to actually program it yourself and change it if your schedule changes. What if the thermostat could do that for you? That’s where a smart thermostat comes into play.
These devices can be installed on your existing heating system to give you total control over your thermostat settings, even when you’re not home. They connect to the internet via your home’s wi-fi, and you can adjust the settings through an app on your phone from anywhere you have cellular or wi-fi connectivity.
Some models also have features that can sense when you’re home or away and automatically adjust the temperature accordingly. You may even be able to set it to turn on or off when you’re a certain distance from your home.
Bundle up
An old-school way to save money on your heating bill is to bundle up when it gets cold out. Wearing a nice, comfy sweater at home or cuddling with blankets on the couch can also allow you to turn the thermostat down a few degrees. This fall money-saving tip is not only frugal, but it can be a good excuse to get close to your partner for a movie night at home.
No matter how you choose to go about it, adjusting your thermostat setting to save money is a good idea. Not only will you be saving money, but you’ll also be using less energy, which is good for the Earth.
Everything in your home has a shelf life—even your heater. If you’ve been having trouble with your furnace for the past few years, it can be difficult to discern whether you should have it repaired or replaced.
Fortunately, there are some telltale signs it’s time to get a new heater. Replacing your heater might not be something you want to do, but it will likely be worth it in the end.
Here is how you’ll know when to replace your heater.
Age
This is the number one factor in deciding whether you should replace your heater. Each furnace has a lifespan of about 15 to 20 years.
If you’ve recently bought a house and are having trouble with the furnace, you can check the owner’s manual or the model number to determine how old it is and whether you need to replace it.
Soaring energy costs
Everyone wants to conserve energy, both for the good of the environment and for their checkbook. If you find that your energy costs are rising quickly over time, the problem might be your furnace.
An improperly-working furnace has to work harder than it normally would to achieve the same temperature, lowering its efficiency while raising your energy costs.
Loud noises
While your furnace should make some noise, certain sounds can be legitimate cause for concern. If your furnace is making popping, humming, rattling or screeching sounds, you’ll want to have it looked at to see whether you need to replace it or not.
Popping can be due to temperature changes; rattling could be equipment or ducts that are loose; and screeching may be a damaged component like a blower motor, belt or pulley.
Uneven heating
The rooms in your home should be heated uniformly—that is, the temperature should be just about the same in every part of the room, and each individual room should be the same temperature.
But if you notice that temperatures are fluctuating within each room and between each room, the issue could be caused by your furnace, and you may need a new one.
Visible wear and tear
A big conundrum with HVAC systems is you can’t physically see the problems with them. You can usually only hear or feel them.
But sometimes you can see signs of wear and tear on your furnace, such as rusting or cracking. These are obviously significant problems and can develop over long periods of time, serving as indications that it might be time to invest in a new furnace.
Numerous repairs
If you find yourself constantly having to call repair technicians to come to your home to fix your furnace, that could be a sign that it’s time to get a new heater.
You can look at your repair bills over the past two years—if you’ve called repair technicians more times than most, that’s probably a good indication that it’s time to start talking to experts about replacing your heater.
Call for a consultation today
Before you know it, winter will be upon us, which means it’s imperative that you have a properly-working furnace. To discuss your furnace, or if you want a checkup, give us a call at Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling. We can cover anything from inspections and repairs to maintenance and installation—all with high-quality brands and top-notch service.
