I know it’s been a while since I have posted to this blog. After my mother passed in the later part of last year I focused on a few other things for a little while, other than the blog. This blog is important, for I do enjoy trying to help others when and if I can. I guess you can say that is one of the reasons I became a home inspector, to help people. I want to help people know what they are buying before the purchase and not after when it’s too late to have any major issues corrected by the seller of the home. Once you buy the home there is always going to be things that must be done to help maintain it properly. One of them is you should have the HVAC system serviced by a qualified, licensed HVAC contractor, at least once a year. Some people have this done twice a year. The reason this is important is depending on what type of HVAC system you have, the efficiency of heating and/or cooling the home can be affected if not performed.
The A/C (or heat pump) of your home uses two sets of coils to transfer heat and cold to cool / heat your home to a comfortable level. The outside portion is known as the condenser / compressor. In this unit the heat from inside the home is transferred by the coils and fins to the outside air. While this is occurring, the coils inside the home, known as the evaporator coils, are transferring the cold created by the refrigerant of the system to the air flowing through evaporator coils and into
(Condenser / Compressor) (Evaporator Coils)
the home by the vents and registers. The evaporator coils are protected by the air filer(s) of the home, or at least should be if changed properly. The outside coils of the condenser / compressor don’t have anything to protect them from dust and dirt. These coils can become very soiled and prevent them from efficiently transferring the heat to the outside air which in turns causes your HVAC system to become less efficient at cooling your home. If your HVAC system is a heat pump, then this also affects the efficiency of the system to heat the home during the winter. This will cause you to spend more money because your HVAC system will not heat or cool your home as easily and as quickly as it should.
During the service, they will clean these coils, change the air filter, check the refrigerant levels to be sure they are charged properly and inspect the system to ensure it is operating as it should be. This will then help your HVAC system produce colder air during the summer and warmer air during the winter months.
Be sure to reach out to your preferred HVAC contractor and have this scheduled to be done before the heat starts creeping up and puts more strain on your system to keep your home cool.
How long has it been since you've had your HVAC system serviced?