Poor HVAC Practices That Homeowners Should Avoid

The HVAC system is quite easily the largest investment in a house in terms of electrical appliances. Most homeowners try to avoid practices that may prevent their system from running efficiently or properly. The simplest way of ensuring the longevity of your HVAC unit is to timely maintain it. You should ensure that you don’t indulge in habits that may have a negative effect on your system. These are a few common HVAC system poor habits you should avoid to ensure that your system runs properly:

Not Replacing the AC Filter

An HVAC unit’s air filter should be replaced at least once every two months. Dirty air filters can lead to numerous issues in an HVAC unit. It can become clogged with dust and restrict airflow if the filter is not cleaned timely. This can cause the unit to work harder for cooling the space. This may increase your utility bills as well. Furthermore, clogged filters are not as good at catching particles and debris flowing through the house. These particles may cause damage to the internal system.

Neglecting the HVAC Unit

You need to routinely have your HVAC system maintained by professionals. This should be done at least once in the fall and once in the spring. You should have professional contractors determine a personalized schedule that works best depending on your usage. Routine maintenance ensures the system runs efficiently and properly. It allows the trained technicians to catch minor issues before they result in a complete breakdown. Your HVAC unit may suffer from premature wear and tear if you skip maintenance. This may need you to replace the unit earlier than expected.

Not Taking Care of Minor Issues

Many homeowners ignore the smaller issues since they don’t really cause any immediate problem. Stemming from this, by ignoring the minor issues, you risk major ones that are both costly and time-intensive. In fact, you may also risk a complete breakdown. It is recommended that you take care of any small issues before they turn into major problems.

Trying DIY Repair

You may think that DIY repair may help you save money on HVAC repairs. Based on this, any mistake may result in a more catastrophic and expensive repair. You should always call the professionals if you are not sure about what you are doing. HVAC systems are complicated machinery. You need the proper expertise, knowledge, training, and tools to repair one.

Keeping Vents Closed or Blocked

Proper airflow is required for you to ensure even heating or cooling inside the house. Most homeowners close the vents in a bid to save on energy. This is a bad habit that can cause an increase in pressure within the ductwork. The ductwork may develop holes and cracks because of the increase in pressure, which will make your unit work harder to compensate for lost conditioned air.

Not Setting the Thermostat Properly

Most energy consumed by an HVAC system is at its start. If you change the settings on the HVAC thermostat constantly, the system will start more often, which will result in increased energy consumption. Your system will not attain the desired temperature any quicker by fiddling with the thermostat. You should adjust the thermostat only when you are planning on stepping out of the house.