Don't Let Skipping On Maintenance Cost You Money

Skipping This Critical HVAC Maintenance Task Will Cost You Money

Just as your car or truck runs better with routine tune-ups, the heating and cooling systems that you rely on to keep your family comfortable benefit from regularly scheduled professional maintenance too. There's one easy task you can do on your own, however, to make your heater and air conditioner operate more efficiently: change your air filter. Read on to discover why skipping this simple chore can cost you money and can compromise your family's comfort and well-being.

Optimizing Energy Efficiency

Your household energy bills are closely linked to how efficiently your HVAC systems can heat or cool your home. From a drafty room to malfunctioning blower motor, any number of factors can increase the amount of energy that your heater or air conditioner uses and drive up your monthly utility bills. When the filter is clogged or dirty, the flow of air is restricted, and that forces the HVAC system to run longer to keep you warm or cool. Changing the filter is one of the easiest and most economical ways to increase your home's energy efficiency.

Saving Money with Regular Air Filter Replacements

You might be surprised to learn just how much money you can save by simply replacing your HVAC filter whenever it's dirty. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), ensuring that the filter is clean can lower the system's energy consumption by as much as 15 percent. Since heating and cooling accounts for up to 50 percent of an average household's energy expenditures, changing the filter at regular intervals can add up to significant savings. The EPA recommends monthly replacements during the heating the cooling seasons and advises homeowners to check the filter every month in the off seasons too, replacing it at the first sign of dirt or debris.

Additional Benefits

Ensuring that your HVAC air filter is clean offers you additional advantages as well:

• Health Benefits. All of the air delivered to your home through a central heating or cooling system first passes through the filter. Air filters help blocks allergens and other particles from circulating through your home's living spaces. That's an important consideration for any family members who suffer from allergies, asthma or other respiratory conditions. Clean filters help everyone breathe easier.
• Long-Term Savings. Although the filter that comes with most heating and air conditioning systems helps sift out contaminants from the air you breathe, it's primarily designed to protect the equipment. A clogged or dirty filter can allow dust, dirt and grime to damage critical parts and components. Keeping the filter clean helps prevent costly HVAC repairs and premature replacements, saving you money now as well as later.

Filter Efficiency Ratings

The number and size of the particles that a filter can trap largely depends on its Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value (MERV) rating. The higher the rating, the more effective the filter is at sifting out tiny particulates. Most HVAC systems, for example, come equipped with a flat panel filter with a MERV rating between 1 and 4. Pleated filters, also called extended surface filters, are available with MERV values as high as 16. A higher rating isn't always better, however. A too-dense filter may present too much air resistance for an HVAC system's fan or motor. Your trusted HVAC provider can help you determine which filter is best for your system.
When you don't change your filter regularly, you pay for it with higher monthly energy bills, more frequent repairs and a shorter HVAC system service life. Dirty filters make it harder to keep your home free of dust and allergens and can have a negative impact of your family's health as well. While it's a relatively easy DIY task, if you have trouble accessing or replacing your filter, a reputable HVAC technician can handle the job for you.

By: Kyson Crowell

Summer-Prepping Your Home

When preparing for the summer, a homeowner needs to take a few minutes to think of his or her wants and needs. It is easy to let time fly by and forget about your house, but this is unwise as you can save money, prevent problems, and avoid time-consuming maintenance jobs. Furthermore, by fixing up your house before the summer, you can avoid calling a professional who may take a long time to come to your house. Here are four tips to summer-prepping your home in an intelligent manner.


Appliances
You probably own multiple appliances such as a washer, dryer, dishwasher, and other smaller items. When these break or function poorly, you will pay higher electric bills and deal with downtime. When a breakdown occurs in the hot summer months, you will deal with rotting food or uncomfortable household members. To combat this and prevent an annoying issue from popping up in the middle of summer, call a home appliance repair specialist who can look at your appliances and repair or upgrade them. With a proactive approach, you will spend less money in the long run and you won’t worry about a breakdown on the hottest day of the year.



Air conditioner
If you live in a hot climate, you need an air conditioner. Without one, residents will experience plenty of discomfort when the temperature passes 90 degrees. At night, without a working unit, you and your family will experience sleepless nights as a fan won’t keep you comfortable. It is difficult for the average person to fix their unit and you need to call a professional to take a look at the air conditioner, before problems occur. With a quick checkup, you can find any minor issues and fix them immediately. If it is in perfect order, you won’t need to do anything and you now can use your unit without fear. Otherwise, if you ignore your air conditioner, you will suffer and spend more money if it malfunctions in the middle of July.



Pool
While a backyard pool is a fun for the family, it presents issues for a homeowner. You will need to remove the cover, add chlorine, and look for any items in the pool such as dead animals. If you don’t know what to do, you need to call a professional who can clean the pool and prep it for the summer. You don’t want to ignore this as people can end up sick if the pool does not have the right amount of chlorine. It will also look nicer when you pay someone to clean it up and remove any nasty surprises.



Your garden needs work
Over the winter and spring, homeowners often ignore their garden as it is often too cold and rainy to head outside and start digging weeds or watering plants. Once the hot and dry months hit, you will regret your laziness. In March or April, or possibly earlier depending on your location, you need to remove dead plants, pull weeds, plant seeds and organize your garden. If you deal with pests often, buy the appropriate products or hire an exterminator to kill the bugs or rodents. While a proactive approach is a wise one, it is easy to ignore the garden as it is not always fun to head outside when the weather is not perfect. If you invest an hour or two a week during the spring, you will enjoy a beautiful garden. Just as importantly, when summer hits, you won’t spend your days cleaning it up and getting rid of weeds.



If you own a home, you need to prepare it for the summer. While it is a time-consuming task at first, it will save you time and money in the long run as you will find the root of problems and fix them immediately.

By: Kyson Crowell