How to Maintain Your HVAC System

Dirt and neglect are the top causes of heating and cooling system inefficiency and failure in Skagit Valley. To ensure an efficient system
operation, it’s essential to maintain your HVAC system.

Change your air filter regularly. A clean filter will prevent dust and dirt from building up in the system, which can lead to expensive maintenance and early system failure. Check your filter every month, especially during winter and summer months, when use tends to be heavier. Change your filter if it’s dirty—or at least every three months to maintain your HVAC system properly.

Tune up your HVAC equipment. Proper maintenance by an Alpine Heating and Cooling qualified technician is one of the most important steps you can take to prevent future problems. We get busy during the summer and winter months, so it is best to check the cooling system in spring and the heating system in the fall. Plan the checkups around the beginning and end of daylight-saving time each spring and fall.

Overall HVAC System Maintenance Checklist

• Check thermostat settings to ensure the heating and cooling system turns
  on and off at the programmed temperatures.
• Tighten all electrical connections and measure voltage and current on
  motors. Faulty electrical connections can cause your system to operate
  unsafely and reduce the life of major components.
• Lubricate moving parts. Parts that lack lubrication cause friction in motors
  and increase the amount of electricity you use. Lack of lubrication can also
  cause equipment to wear out more quickly, requiring more frequent repairs
  or replacements.
• Check and inspect the condensate drain in your central air conditioner,
  furnace, and heat pump (when in cooling mode). If plugged, the drain
  can cause water damage in the house, affect indoor humidity levels, and
  breed bacteria and mold.
• Check system controls to ensure proper and safe operation. Check the starting
  cycle of the equipment to assure the system starts, operates, and shuts
  off properly.
• Inspect, clean, or change the air filter in your central air conditioner, furnace,
  and heat pump. Your contractor can show you how to do this yourself.
  Depending on your system, your filter may be located in the duct system versus
  the heating and cooling equipment itself.

Additional HVAC System-Specific Maintenance Activities

For Heating Systems:

• Inspect the flue piping for rusting and any disconnections or evidence of
  back drafting.
• Check all gas (or oil) connections, gas pressure, burner combustion, and heat
  exchanger. Improper burner operation can be caused by a dirty burner or a
  cracked heat exchanger—either can cause the equipment to operate less safely
  and efficiently. Leaking gas (or oil) connections are also a fire hazard and can
  contribute to health problems.

For Cooling Systems:

• Clean indoor and outdoor coils before warm weather starts. A dirty coil
  reduces the system’s ability to cool your home and causes the system to run
  longer, increasing your energy costs and shortening the life of your equipment.
• Check your central air conditioner’s refrigerant charge and adjust it if
  necessary to make sure it meets manufacturer specifications. Too much or too
  little refrigerant charge can damage the compressor, reducing the life of your
  equipment and increasing costs.
• Clean and adjust blower components to provide proper system airflow. Proper
  airflow over the indoor coil is necessary for efficient equipment operation
  and reliability.

Alpine Heating & Cooling services all of Skagit Valley including Anacortes, La Conner, Mount Vernon, Sedro-Woolley, and Burlington.  Contact us today to schedule maintenance for your HVAC system!