Not everyone regularly cleans their HVAC unit, but they should! Cleaning your HVAC unit can help you take care of your air conditioner and other components of your HVAC system. Understanding the purpose of this activity and knowing how often it needs to be done can help you take care of your house and avoid maintenance problems. Here’s what you need to know.
Why Clean Your HVAC Unit?
Dirt and grime that builds up in your HVAC unit can cause a variety of problems. Dirty coils in your air conditioner can prevent your air conditioner from effectively expelling hot air, thus reducing its efficiency and effectiveness in your home. Over time, continuing to run your air conditioner if you have dirty coils can require your air conditioner to run longer and harder than should have to run just to keep your home cool.
Other parts of your HVAC unit should also be kept clean. For example, dirty ducts can lead to more dirt and dust circulating through your HVAC system. Keeping the ducts clean can keep the rest of your HVAC unit clean as well.
When to Clean Your HVAC Unit
Clean your air conditioner once per year, ideally at the end of the summer. Have a technician clean your air conditioner during your annual tune up. During the tune up, your technician will check the coolant levels, get rid of dirt and grime on the coils, replace the filter and perform other tasks to keep your air conditioner in good condition.
Get your ducts cleaned on a periodic, as-needed basis. Some people need their air ducts cleaned every few years, others can go five years or longer between cleanings. You’ll be able to tell if your ducts need to be cleaned by shining a flashlight into your ducts. If you can see dust in the ducts, then they probably need a good cleaning.
How to Prevent Your HVAC Unit from Getting Dirty
Prevent your air conditioner from getting dirty by keeping the area around the air conditioner condenser clean. This means clearing the area of weeds, wood mulch and organic debris. By keeping the area around your air conditioner clear, you can prevent items from being sucked or blown into the condenser fins and coils. Want to mulch the area around your air conditioner? Rock mulch is better than wood mulch because it’s heavy and won’t get caught in the fins of your condenser.
Your home’s ducts will get dirty with time, but keeping a clean house (and dusting regularly) can keep your ducts cleaner longer. Change your HVAC air filter on a regular basis – every three months – to keep the air circulating through your HVAC system clean.
Need a Tune Up or Duct Cleaning? Call Us Today!
AirGanic provides HVAC cleaning services to improve your home’s indoor air quality. Contact us today to make an appointment and learn more.
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