What Does HVAC Maintenance Mean?

A Picture of an HVAC Technician Checking Heat Pump Amperage.

HVAC Maintenance Facts

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night or on the weekend only to find that your heater or air conditioner isn’t heating or cooling your home properly. In situations like that, you probably wonder if there was something you could’ve done to prevent that issue from happening. The answer is, yes, there are ways to avoid problems from happening to your heating or cooling system. In order to prevent issues and keep your home comfortable year-round, its important to get professional HVAC maintenance. HVAC maintenance is the process of maintaining the heater or air conditioner by inspecting, cleaning, testing, or even repairing and replacing components in the system. By investing in maintenance for your HVAC system, you can fix issues before they become bigger problems.

As a homeowner, its a good idea to know a few facts about HVAC maintenance in order to keep yourself informed. The first thing to know is that maintenance can save you money. By getting bi-annual maintenance for your HVAC systems, you can save money on repair or replacement service. Another fact that you should know is that it makes your HVAC system more energy-efficient. When the components in your system are dirty or worn out, they can cause your system to work harder than they should. This can result in using more energy and spending more on energy costs. HVAC maintenance, however, can help you save energy. Finally, maintenance will guarantee that you are comfortable in the fall, winter, spring, and summer months, as maintenance ensures your HVAC system is in great shape.

How Do You Maintain an HVAC System?

Typically, an HVAC technician will be the one who takes care of your HVAC maintenance, although homeowners can do their own maintenance. While homeowners can do the bi-annual maintenance for their heater and air conditioner, having a licensed and insured HVAC technician do your maintenance will ensure that it is done properly. so what is involved in HVAC maintenance? There is an HVAC maintenance checklist that you or your HVAC technician will follow in order to maintain every part of the air conditioner or heater.

  • Cleaning: There are a couple of things that need to be done when cleaning an HVAC unit. The outdoor unit will need to be cleaned of leaves, debris, and dirt. Your filters will also need to be cleaned. Then various parts of the HVAC system will need to be cleaned like the condenser coils, drain lines, drain pans, and evaporator coils.
  • Inspecting: In terms of inspections, the HVAC technician will inspect various parts like the capacitors, condenser coils, contactors, ductwork, electrical wiring connections, fan blade, heat exchanger, and service valves. Inspecting to see if any smells are coming from the HVAC unit is also important.
  • Lubricating: There are a lot of moving parts inside of an HVAC system, which is why it is so important to lubricate different parts when maintenance is performed. When parts aren’t properly lubricated, it can cause friction and grinding of parts, which can severely harm the HVAC system.
  • Replacing: When it comes to replacements, there are a couple of things that can be replaced during maintenance. Carbon monoxide batteries will need to be replaced annually, whereas the air filter will need to be replaced monthly. There are parts such as belts and pulleys that can wear out easily, so they might need to be replaced.

Are HVAC Tune Ups Worth it?

There are a ton of people who ask if is HVAC maintenance necessary and worth it, and the answer is yes, it is very necessary and worth it. There are many reasons why HVAC maintenance is important with one of the most important reasons being that it extends the life of your system. When you avoid getting maintenance for your HVAC unit, it can decrease the life of the system. Getting maintenance ensures that it runs as long as possible. HVAC maintenance can also lower your bills, save energy, provide you with better indoor air quality, makes your HVAC system run more smoothly, and reduces repairs. All of these things are important to an HVAC system, which is why maintenance is essential.

How Much Should I Pay for HVAC Maintenance?

A Picture of a Man Removing a Dirty Air Filter.

HVAC Maintenance and Repair

There are a couple of factors that determine the cost of HVAC maintenance, with some of these factors including the age of the unit, how complicated the system is, how big the system is, how long the service is, time of year, if there are any repairs are needed, and how often the system is being serviced. Generally, you can spend anywhere between $70 to $150, but the price can be higher if there are parts in the HVAC system that need to be replaced. If you are looking for HVAC maintenance in Norco and New Orleans, LA, call the professionals at Cajun Comfort. Just like you wouldn’t call someone inexperienced for general home repairs, you wouldn’t call just anyone for HVAC maintenance. For affordable and effective HVAC maintenance plans, give us a call today at 985-764-8191!