Tips to Protect Your HVAC During a Home Renovation Project

Home renovations are stressful yet exciting. You are going to get the upgrade you always wanted, but your home is going to look like a construction zone for the next few days. Many homeowners forget to protect their HVAC systems during home renovations. Dirt, dust, contaminants, and debris that gets stirred during a home renovation can enter your HVAC system and damage it.

These tips can help you protect your heating and cooling system during your next Bay Area home renovation project.

1. Create a Plan

Consult with a reputed HVAC technician once the home renovation plans are in to check whether the new layout will work with your existing system or not. For instance, will the current duct placement get affected by the renovation? Do you need to make any alterations to your current HVAC system? It is important to plan these things before starting the upgrade.

2. Cover All Vents

Another important step is to cover all vents in your house. You don’t want the dust kicked up during renovations to enter your expensive air conditioning unit. Larger particles are more likely to damage a HVAC equipment beyond repair. Keep a few vents open if your furnace is running on low or it will restrict airflow.

3. Don’t Keep the Furnace On During Work

You should turn off the furnace when there is work going on in your home. This will help ensure that excess debris or dirt doesn’t get inside your heating and cooling systems.

4. Take Your Messy Work Outside

You should think about doing all your messy work elsewhere if you want to prevent damage to your unit. Use the garage or an outdoor space for sawing and cutting. This will ensure that minimal grit, sawdust, and construction dirt gets caught in the ducts, vents, and air filter.

5. Regular Cleaning is Important

Renovations are lengthy processes that can go on for months. You should make sure to clean your unit regularly during this period to prevent accumulation or build-up of dirt and debris. Vacuum at least every few days. It may seem more frequent than usual, but it will help combat the excess dirt in your house.

6. Replace Air Filters

You should consider replacing or cleaning your air filters more frequently. Your furnace won’t work as it is supposed to if it gets clogged. The air will get filled with renovation dust which is not good for your health or home. You should check the air filters often to identify the best time to replace them.

7. Professional Duct Cleaning Helps

Once the renovation work is complete, you should consider getting professional duct cleaning done. Have technicians come and clean the entire duct system. You should also have them clean the HVAC system. Dust is persistent even if you closed all the vents and kept everything off. Duct cleaning is recommended after a home renovation project.

This is because the dust from the work is now settled and will make its way into your furnace. You could end up with massive amounts of debris build-up. Clogged ducts can cause your furnace to work extra hard. This is neither safe nor energy efficient.