Whether you have an HVAC system in your home or workplace, it is important to ensure they are properly maintained and regularly looked after. Failure to do so can cause the system to underperform, suffer faults, or completely fail. Whether you use it for heating, cooling, or both, you don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you are stuck without it. We have spoken to HVAC technicians and designers to bring you a little more understanding of HVAC and the reasons why HVAC maintenance is so important. In this article, we will share this knowledge and advice. Read on to find out more.
HVAC Systems Are Complicated
Firstly, it’s worth discussing how HVAC systems work. As explained in this useful guide, they are extremely complicated systems that provide both heating and cooling to your home through different components. Usually, they comprise a heating furnace, air conditioning unit, ducts and pipes, and various thermostats and temperature sensors. They are simply not something the average person knows how to fix or properly maintain!
The heating furnace is often controlled by oil or gas. Whichever material is in your particular furnace ignition will be lit and have air forced past it to help heat the air. The furnace does this by sucking in cool air and pushing it through or past the flame. This air then travels through the ductwork into your home to create warmth.
The air conditioning system works in a similar way to achieve the opposite effect. This unit will contain a chemical refrigerant material that has to pass through multiple parts to create a cooling effect. They are complicated systems involving chemical reactions and at least three active parts at any one time, usually a compressor, condenser, and evaporator.
Finally, the V in HVAC stands for ventilation. Some systems are clever and recycle the air in your home with fresh air, without the need to open a window. There will be an extractor fan, pulling air through your home and pushing it outside, whilst another component forces new, often filtered, air back into your house. These systems can often replace all the air in the home every 30 minutes.
All three of these systems use a series of interconnected ducts and pipework. So, as you can see it is a very complex system of burners, chemicals, fans, moving parts, and more! So, there is a lot that can go wrong. This is the main reason why regular and proper HVAC maintenance is so important.
Regular Maintenance Avoids Emergencies
It is worth noting that most system installers recommend having your system checked by a professional AC company once per year. It is easy to forget to schedule these check-ups, and some people simply avoid them. The problem is, due to the complex nature of the systems, a small fault going unnoticed for a long time can lead to an emergency situation. A leak in air-con coolant, for example, can cause serious health issues to your whole household if it goes unnoticed. Or, a damaged pipe in your heating system could slowly cause a huge gas or oil leak. A professional technician would notice these issues before they became critical, meaning regular maintenance is definitely important.
Cost Saving
Obviously, then, regular maintenance is essential. But, it can cost money to bring technicians or engineers into your home so you may still want to avoid this yearly expense. However, it is far, far better to get these yearly checks done in the long run. An emergency situation or total failure of your system due to poor maintenance will cost far more than your regular check-ups would have.
Expert Advice
The other great reason to speak with HVAC technicians or have them regularly maintain your system is that you will receive expert knowledge and advice from them. If you have a problem you can’t understand, they will explain it to you. And, if it’s something you can look after or fix yourself, they can guide you. For example, you may have a programmable thermostat that you can’t figure out. Your HVAC technician can guide you through the process. They can also advise you if you happen to have accidentally done something to damage the system or used it improperly.
As you can see, regular HVAC maintenance is absolutely essential to ensure the smooth operation of the system and to aid in avoiding disasters. Don’t delay or put off your regularly scheduled maintenance as this can lead to much bigger problems down the line, and cost you a lot of money! Look after your HVAC system properly and it will keep working well for you for years to come.
