Heating and cooling systems can typically be free from trouble and easy to maintain.

When you do your due diligence and keep up with the maintenance, you get them functioning efficiently.

Regardless of the type of system you have, there are a number of things that you will be able to do in order to keep your system in tip-top shape. Also, keeping your heating and cooling systems running efficiently means that you will be keeping your energy bills down because inefficient operation uses more energy to do the same job as a system that is running efficiently.

You don’t need to worry if the repairs that we will talk about here today are not able to be done by you. You can always get a professional heating service to come out and do them for you.

Knowing That Your HVAC System Needs Maintenance

So, how will you know when it is time to service your system? Are the problem signs that will let you know? Yes, in fact, there are. There are a few of them, and they include things like:

  • Extra dust or condensation
  • Garbage that smells worse than usual
  • Cold Symptoms and headaches
  • Energy bills that are on the rise
  • Strange noises coming from your system

Air Conditioning

It might be time for the heater right now, but all too soon, it will be time to turn on the air conditioner. You need to make sure that it is in good repair and ready when that time comes. Right now though, you should have it covered to protect it from debris and winter weather.

Maintaining an air conditioner isn’t difficult. One thing that you need to do is to change the filters on a regular basis. The coils can also get dirty after use and they need to be cleaned regularly too. The fins on those coils can become bent and damaged and block the flow of air.

If this happens, companies that sell air conditioners typically will also sell fin combs that will straighten them back up for you. You might want to occasionally use a stiff wire to unclog the drain channels too. Also, at the beginning of air conditioning season, make sure that all of your window seals are good so that you will not be letting the cold air escape through cracks in the window sill.

Troubleshooting Your Heating and Cooling Systems

Before you begin to do any work or call someone to work on your heating and cooling systems, there are a few things that you can do to get it working properly again. They include:

  • Ensuring that the unit is getting power. Look for things like fuses that may be blown or circuit breakers that have been tripped at the main entrance panel. Sometimes furnaces will have a separate entrance for power, typically located behind a separate panel right near the main entrance. Then again, some furnaces have fuses that will be mounted either on or in the unit.
  • If your unit is equipped with a reset button, it will be marked “Reset” and be located near the housing for the motor. Wait for about a half hour while you let the motor cool. Once that time has passed, press the reset button. If your unit still refuses to start, wait another half hour and try again.
  • If your unit has a separate power switch, check to ensure that the switch has been turned on.
  • Check the thermostat. Is it set properly? When you feel it is necessary, you can raise or lower the temperature 5 degrees to see if it will kick on.
  • If your unit is powered by gas, make sure that the supply of gas is turned on and that your pilot light is burning. If you have an oil-powered system, check to ensure that you have a supply of oil that is adequate.

Be Careful

Working on systems such as these can be dangerous in ways that you might not know. For that reason, it is important to:

  • Make sure that the system is powered down before you do any work or maintenance on it.
  • If you notice that a circuit breaker trips or a fuse blows repeatedly when you power the system on, there is likely an issue with the electrical system. Do not mess with it. Call a professional.
  • If you have a gas powered system and you smell gas, leave the house and call the gas company immediately. Stay out of the home until the gas company gives you the go ahead to go back inside.
  • Make sure to have your system professionally serviced annually.

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