Extending Your HVAC’s Life – True Stories
We all try to make our dollars go farther and last longer. Big expenditures – like a new HVAC system or a major HVAC repair – can break the budget… and who has time for that anyway? Here are some true stories from customer experiences we can all learn from.
Case #1: A married couple, Dan & Cheryl, decided to sell their house their 18-year-old house. The buyers were apprehensive about the original HVAC unit, and figured it would never pass inspection… in fact, they were hoping to use the aged HVAC unit as a bargaining chip to force concessions from the owners. To the buyer’s and inspector’s surprise, this 18-year-old HVAC passed inspection with a totally clean bill of health! Here’s what Dan & Cheryl did, and you can, too!
- Get regular fall and spring tune-ups. This will help keep your system running like new, increase efficiencies and keep your daily heating and cooling expenses low. Plus it will spot problems when they can be easily fixed, before causing a major outage. For both time and money, having regular system maintenance can only work in your favor.
- Change your air filters regularly. Set automated reminders and never use a filter longer than 3 months. Never try to just vacuum the filter and reuse it! The microscopic debris imbedded deep inside the filter can harm your system over time. During every filter change, clean out the return air ducts and grill with a cloth or vacuum, too.
- Keep the air vents open and clean. Never block vents with magnetic covers, furniture, or anything that would impede airflow. This causes extra strain on the HVAC unit. During fall and spring house cleaning, clean out the vents using a cloth or vacuum to remove any dust or debris. To see how, check out a previous video we did illustrating this.
- Keep the indoor and outdoor units free of debris. This means cleaning off the leaves throughout the fall, keeping grass clippings out of the unit, and keeping the area around the inside and outside units free of obstructions.
- Add a whole-house electronic air cleaner. This helps keep the heat exchanger free from debris which over time causes cracks, leaks, expensive repairs, and could even cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
Case #2: Now, let’s look at the experiences of another homeowner named Sherrie. She rented out her home for a year prior to selling it. At that time the renters moved in, the HVAC unit was just 8-years-old. A year later, Sherrie was in for surprise! The renters had not changed the HVAC filters at all during the entire years’ time, and it had burned up the HVAC unit to where it would no longer come on. They also had not kept up the maintenance on this heavily wooded lot, and the HVAC unit was covered in debris. Sherrie had to pay nearly $8,000 for a new HVAC unit before it could pass inspection, thus taking a big chunk out of her sales’ profits. Ouch! That is a hard way to learn that the most important thing anyone can do to prolong the life of their HVAC unit is to change the air filters!
Whether you’re getting ready to sell your house and don’t want to be faced with a failed inspection – or you’re a conscientious homeowner, looking to make the best use of your time and money, following these steps will help prolong the life of your HVAC system.
If you live in the Nashville or surrounding area, rely on Interstate AC Service for all your HVAC maintenance needs. Call us at 615-832-8500. We’ll help you get the most life out of your HVAC system.