What Is An HVAC Preventative Maintenance?
Preventative maintenance has been classified under tasks that you can handle by yourself unsupervised, to protect the lifespan of your HVAC unit. For first-timers, your HVAC technician could take you through the process. Preventative maintenance ensures that you enjoy extended services from your unit, maintain clean indoor air quality, and enjoy low energy bills. Basically, preventative maintenance revolves around checking if your unit’s condition is excellent, preferably every three to four months.
Preventative Maintenance
Regular preventative maintenance is quite essential because it helps your equipment stay comfortable, helps in reducing your energy bills, as well as cleaning indoor air. Maintenance also helps increase the lifespan of your HVAC system. Usually, the lifespan of most air conditioners is 15 years. However, one thing you need to know is that you should ensure your air conditioning system to be serviced by HVAC experts to ensure it is in safe hands to last longer. This is what happens during preventative maintenance.
- Checking for any oil leaks
- Shaft bearings and lube motor if required
- Checking for any vibrations or noise
- Thermostat inspection
- Inspection of the compressor operation pressures
- Servicing of the electric heat strips if needed
- Inspection of all the wiring and electrical connections
- Cleaning of the condenser coil if required
- Inspection of all fan motors and compressors
- Testing and inspection of safety controls
What Is An HVAC Seasonal Tune-Up?
For the average homeowner, these terms can get confusing. An HVAC seasonal tune-up must be carried out by a professional. According to experts, seasonal tune-ups are best recommended in the early fall and spring just before they are subjected to constant running in the winter and summer seasons.
HVAC Seasonal Tune-Up
HVAC seasonal tune-up is entirely different from preventative maintenance. So, what does HVAC seasonal tune-up entail? Here are some of the things involved;
- Inspection of contacts, relays, wiring, and capacitors; this helps in avoiding expensive repairs in case of breakdowns.
- Outdoor disconnect inspection Checking and making sure that the condensate drainer is clear
- Checking if the evaporator coil is clean
- Cleaning and inspection of the condenser
- Lubricating and inspecting the blades and condenser fan motors
- Checking the compressor amp during startup
- Also, checking other things in the HVAC system to ensure it is safe so that everything runs efficiently.
Are Both Practices Crucial?
Although HVAC preventative maintenance and seasonal tune-ups are different, as discussed above, they are both crucial for the health of your unit. Overlooking these practices will definitely have an adverse impact on the lifespan and health of your unit, as well as the economic outlook of your energy bills.