Owning a home requires proactive HVAC maintenance which is a year-round job – every month, there may be tasks to complete. Our Home Comfort Club is to ensure preventative work is usually taken care of before the 90 degree weather hits. During the hot summer months, tackle the tasks that are easy for any homeowner to accomplish!
Our June HVAC maintenance tips will help you care for your cooling system this month. Work through the list below to keep your air conditioner or heat pump performing optimally so it will keep your home cool to keep operating costs low. You will not only boost indoor air quality but also protect your system from surprise breakdowns which could put a damper on your summer plans and add unexpected expenses.
HVAC Maintenance Checklist for June
Check your air filter. Periods of high heat results in heavy cooling system use, so the filter should be inspected every 3 to 4 weeks to make sure it has no discolored, there are no dark spots or shadows in it. Things like burning candles, cooking grease, smoking, laundry lint or the kiddos on summer break running in and out of the house can dirty a filter even sooner. You may find it necessary to replace it sooner than the normally suggested 1 month mark during these times, so have a replacement ready just in case.
Inspect all registers and return air grilles in your home to ensure they have not been blocked or shut. These vents should never be blocked, as doing so will restrict airflow through your HVAC systems, which could create performance issues and system overheating.
Move anything that could obstruct your vents. Check to see that vent louvers are open; if you wish to shut off cooling to unused areas of your home and you do not have central duct dampers, never close more than 20 percent of the structure’s HVAC vents. If you have air dampers in your main air ducts, make sure they are in the position that you want the air flow to be directed. Just make sure they are not closed.
Inspect your exterior cooling equipment for leaves and fallen branches. Sudden storms in Virginia can bring about a lot of rain and wind and debris can get pushed onto your equipment. Trim away vegetation that has grown around the unit. Never store outdoor furniture or other items in the area immediately surrounding the unit.
Inspect your cooling system’s drip (condensation) pan and condensate drain lines for clogs. If these components become clogged with mold or algae growth, condensation from the cooling process cannot drain off properly. This can cause the cooling system to leak water or back up indoors, causing water damage and/or water to leak onto electrical components inside your system causing a malfunction.