The HVAC system in your Palm Springs, CA home is designed to keep your surroundings comfortable while maintaining a healthy level of indoor air quality. It can also help control the relative humidity in your home. As with any equipment or appliance, your HVAC system will experience issues because of normal wear and tear. It’s recommended that you work with an experienced HVAC professional for prompt repairs for your heating system and air conditioner. This will help protect the lifespan of your system and equipment. Let’s look more in-depth at the different ways you can prolong the lifespan of your furnace, air conditioner, and other related equipment.
Scheduling Annual Inspections and Tune-Ups
Once a year, schedule an inspection and tune-up of the various components of your HVAC system. Some people choose to have this service performed before winter starts. This will ensure your heating system is ready to go when the temperatures start to cool off outside. Other homeowners opt for a pre-summer appointment to get ready for hot weather.
Regardless of when you schedule your annual AC maintenance or heating tune-up service, our team will inspect various components of your HVAC system. We’ll look for loose electrical connections, damaged parts, parts that need to be lubricated, a clogged air filter, and more. We can provide repairs during this time, warding off catastrophes that could shut down your HVAC system completely. Routine inspections and maintenance can prolong the lifespan of your HVAC system by helping you to avoid frequent problems that can lead to an increase in wear and tear.
Changing Your Air Filter Regularly
There is a filter in your HVAC system that traps particulate matter before it can make its way into your ducts and out into your living space. This filter is also designed to prevent particulate matter from building up on the interior components of your HVAC system. When particulates build up on components like electrical connections or fan blades, this can lead to damage. It can also cause your heating and cooling equipment to become overworked, shortening its lifespan.
Upgrading the Insulation in Your Home
Insulating your home can reduce the frequency with which you need to run your heating and cooling equipment. If you’re not using your HVAC system too much, this will protect its integrity. Have a professional technician check your home to see which places would benefit from insulation. This may include areas like your attic or basement. Check your home for hot or cold spots, which can indicate a lack of insulation from the outdoors.
You may want to have your ducts insulated to protect the conditioned air inside of them. This will keep air at a more consistent temperature when it needs to move far away from your furnace or air conditioner. This can cut back on the amount of time that your system needs to run to keep your home comfortable.
Different types of insulation are available. They includes fiberglass batting, polyethylene foam sheeting, and spray foam.
Scheduling a Duct Cleaning and Inspection
The ductwork that is part of your HVAC system is designed to deliver conditioned air to different areas of your home. This ductwork can become quite dirty from contaminants such as dust, dust mites, mold spores, and pet dander. Ductwork should be professionally cleaned once every three to five years to protect your indoor air quality. This cleaning can also protect your HVAC system by reducing the amount of particulate matter that your heating and cooling equipment comes into contact with.
A duct cleaning can also include an inspection. It’s imperative that you don’t have any gaps, cracks, or holes in your ducting that could allow conditioned air to escape. This decreases the overall efficiency of your system and leads to wear and tear. Not to mention, these open spaces can allow contaminants to enter your HVAC system and accumulate over time.
If any open areas are discovered during your ductwork inspection, our team can seal them. Depending on the amount of the damage, there are different products and processes that we can use. Our duct sealing process will eliminate any compromised areas. We can use mastic tape and liquid sealants to fix smaller areas. For extensive damage, it may be necessary to replace sections of your ductwork.
Ductwork doesn’t last forever. It’s designed to hold up for about 15 to 25 years before needing to be replaced. As with your heating and cooling equipment, ductwork can age faster if it’s exposed to things like high levels of humidity, pests, and particulate matter. Filter changes and routine cleaning of your ductwork can protect its integrity.
Considering a Thermostat Upgrade
If you don’t already have a smart thermostat in your home, now might be the perfect time to upgrade to one. A smart thermostat provides several features that can help you boost the efficiency of your HVAC system. When you have an efficient system, this can reduce runtime and protect your equipment. Smart thermostats allow you to program your temperature settings from wherever you are, using your smart device. Some units use geofencing technology to adjust your settings for you based on your location. You can even allow access to your local power authority so that they can make efficient changes for you. These changes don’t usually change the temperature more than a couple of degrees, but they can make a big difference in how frequently your system runs.
Consider the schedule that you are using to heat and cool your home. For example, having your indoor temperature set very low in the summer and very high in the winter can force your heating and cooling equipment to run almost nonstop to keep up with your demands. This will inevitably shorten the lifespan of your system. Consider changing the temperature inside your home while you are away at work for the day or on vacation. There’s no need for your heating and cooling equipment to run frequently if nobody is around. Just make sure you’re keeping your home at a safe temperature to protect things like floors, pipes, and valuable furnishings.
There are several rebates and incentives that can make it more affordable to invest in a smart thermostat for your home. Professional installation is very important so that you can ensure your thermostat is working properly.
If you would like assistance with maintaining your heating and cooling system or need repairs, reach out to our team here at General Air Conditioning & Plumbing. Serving Palm Springs and other parts of California’s Coachella Valley, we also install different types of heating and cooling equipment, address indoor air quality concerns, and service heat pumps. Our plumbing services include unclogging drains, repairing pipes and leaks, replacing faucets, working on sewers, and more. You can also give us a call for professional electrical services, including panel installation, emergency repairs, new installations, lighting, and more.
Contact General Air Conditioning & Plumbing today to find out more or schedule an appointment!
