As all homeowners know, proper maintenance and care of the home’s operating systems are ongoing, year-round responsibilities. When it comes to the household’s utilities, a comprehensive checklist, and basic working knowledge can make all the difference between safe, comfortable living space and a complete, costly equipment breakdown. This makes a homeowner’s AC unit and heating system especially important.

As the seasons pass and the weather changes, air conditioning, and heating can become crucial aspects of day-to-day living. Here, we will look at 4 HVAC maintenance and repair tips, enabling you to keep your family in safe, ideal surroundings all year.

1. Learn the basics of your HVAC equipment.

Knowing the fundamentals of your home’s air conditioner should be among the first steps for performing HVAC maintenance. If you’ve purchased a new home, your HVAC system will likely brand new or modern technology. However, if you’ve moved into an older home, you may have installed the traditional air conditioner and heating system years ago. Either way, take the time to learn about their proper maintenance, seasonal tasks, and the protocol for year-round servicing. You may have to contact the original HVAC manufacturer or enlist the help of a professional technician, but it’s worth the effort.

2. Clean your ductwork and air filters.

Whether your HVAC is brand new or on the older side, it’s likely to use ductwork and traditional ventilation for circulating air throughout your home. In that instance, you must remember to change out your systems’ air filters approximately every two months. Cleaning your ducts is equally important, but your air filters are directly responsible for maintaining clean indoor air quality in the house.

Mold, dust, and debris are all captured by an air filter’s mesh and, over time, can amount to a pretty heavy clog. That blockage will run down your HVAC’s ventilation efficiency, allowing those biological contaminants into your home. In addition, a blocked air filter forces homeowners to run their systems at higher capacity more often, quickly spiking their energy consumption and monthly energy bills.

3. Keep an eye on your thermostat all year.

Luckily, faulty thermostats aren’t nearly as expensive to fix as broken air conditioning units or heating systems. However, failing to check your thermostat for errors if a noticeable issue with your home’s air system arises can lead to hefty, unnecessary HVAC repair or replacement. For example, if you and your family have been forced to readjust the thermostat repeatedly since the household’s room temperature doesn’t seem to match the thermostat’s read-out, don’t immediately assume the problem lies with the air system. Commonly, a simple step like resetting the thermostat, or even changing its batteries, can solve an apparently expensive issue.

4. Be sure to schedule regular maintenance.

You may be asking yourself when is the best time to have a professional HVAC technician look at your home’s air systems. The answer is simple: right away! Preventative maintenance is truly the best solution for year-round care of your home’s air conditioner, furnace or boiler, and vents. Although some of the above-listed tasks are simple enough for any homeowner to perform, only a technician can inspect the equipment for more intricate issues that could turn into potentially serious, expensive problems.

Before every seasonal shift, regular maintenance of the HVAC and heater is a good idea and semi-annual ventilation cleaning and equipment tune-up. As a homeowner, you should consider investing in an HVAC maintenance agreement with your trusted service provider, guaranteeing you’ll always have a technician on-call in an emergency, as well as a trusted ally in providing your family with the safest and most comfortable living space all year.