If you rent your home, you may be hesitant about joining an HVAC maintenance membership because of the long term nature of most maintenance plans. Long term HVAC memberships are great if you own a house, but they may not be worth the cost if you don’t plan on living in the same home for an extended period of time.
So what can you do to keep your HVAC systems well maintained? Well, in the age of DIY and individuality, you can create your own HVAC Maintenance plan with Barker Heating & Cooling that suits your specific home and lifestyle.
Remember to Replace Your Filter
The first step to maintaining your HVAC system is to change your air filter every one to three months.
Doing so not only drastically improves your home’s air quality (we’ll talk in a moment about why that’s important), but it also helps your system stay clean and run more efficiently.
If you have construction going on in your home or yard, you should be changing your filter no less than once a month, as construction can kick up a lot of dirt and debris into the air. If you have a pollen allergy, you may also want to change your filter more often during the spring.
Schedule Professional Cleanings
The other part of HVAC maintenance is having your system professionally cleaned on a regular basis.
Annual inspections and cleanups are a large part of this maintenance process, but there is another side of HVAC system cleanings that a lot of people forget about is cleaning your air ducts!
Duct cleanings should occur about every three to five years. Again, if you’ve had construction done in the last few years, or if your area has had a high pollen count over the last few years, you may need to schedule a duct cleaning soon.
Air Quality is Important
Keeping your indoor air quality up should be one of your top maintenance priorities. You don't want to be polluting your lungs with dirty air, do you?
Poor air quality is known to irritate a number of respiratory issues, such as allergies, asthma, and COPD. Low-quality air can even cause skin and eye irritation.
So, what causes your air quality to be bad? Things like pollen, pet dander, dirt, and dust. You can also help keep your air quality up by cleaning your home frequently. You shouldn't need to clean every day, but dusting and sweeping about once a week can make a huge difference to your air quality.
Whether you are temporarily renting a home, or you live in a permanent residence, it’s important that you protect your air quality by replacing your air filter frequently and schedule regular maintenance and cleanings. Doing this will also help you avoid emergencies with your HVAC system.
You can call Barker Heating & Cooling anytime you’re ready to set up an appointment for a full HVAC system tune-up and start breathing easier. We also specialize in furnace maintenance to keep your system running efficiently year-round. Just call (925) 276-9601 to speak with a qualified HVAC technician about all our services and how you can set up your personalized HVAC maintenance plan!
