Spring Cleaning and Your HVAC
Hogle & Son Heating & Air • May 8, 2020
With the Spring time change we are all gearing up for Spring cleaning. This is the time of the year here in North Central Florida where we have quite possibly the most mild weather of the year. This is a great opportunity to start taking care of your HVAC system before the heat of the summer really hits and ensure that you and your family are as comfortable as can be this year.
What Can You Do?
As homeowners there are a number of tasks that we perform every year to ensure everything will run smoothly and to try and avoid emergency service calls. So what can you do to try and avoid an emergency?
- Perhaps the most important thing you can do for your HVAC system is to get onto a regular maintenance plan. Having a certified expert look over your unit regularly before the major weather changes is important in the way that having the oil on your car changed. It will allow any minor issues to be addressed before they become big issues. If a repair does need to be performed, you will be able to expect more immediate service because there won’t be as many people with emergency service calls because of our extreme Florida summers. These visits will include minor testing to make sure your refrigerant levels are what they should be, a visual inspection of the major components and the filter.
- Change your filter! This is especially important because many homeowners have one inch thick filters that really need to be changed once a month. Allowing these filters to become clogged causes your system to work harder and more air pollutants to be expelled throughout your house. Even if you have a thicker HEPA filter it is important to look at it monthly because any sudden dramatic changes in the amount of debris in the filter can mean there is an issue with your system.
- Make sure to clean around your condenser . If there are leaves or other debris piled up around your condenser it will make your cooling less efficient and more costly. If your unit is struggling to breathe through clogged airflow it will, in time, cause costly repairs because your unit will be forced to work harder to maintain temperature. Make sure to cut back any plant overgrowth or hanging limbs to make your system have the best possible airflow.
- Make your home more weather proof to reduce the load on your HVAC system. This is especially important because it not only lowers your power bill, but it can also dramatically effect the comfort of you and your family. Sun blocking drapes over your windows during the heat of the day will help quite a bit. Making sure you don’t have any major drafts by checking weatherstripping and caulk on any exterior points also help. Having adequate insulation in your attic spaces is another very important component. All of these issues should be looked over in the spring before the heat hits.
- Another service your local technicians can perform is to check over your duct system. They can assess the state of the ducts and let you know if you need any repair work done, if your ducts need to be cleaned or if they need additional sealing or insulation. They can also asses your registers to make sure they are open and unobstructed.
To discuss any of these issues or schedule a maintenance visit today call Dayton Heating and Air at (352) 317-2132.
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The first step to finding the right system for your home or business is learning the basics of HVAC systems. HVAC uses a lot of specific acronyms, vocabulary, and abbreviations that might be confusing, much like anything technical. By understanding the basics in this blog post, you'll be able to talk comfortably with a contractor. Knowing more about the HVAC industry will help you communicate your wants and difficulties to a tech specialist and give you a better idea of the investment you're making. Before you speak to any HVAC contractor in Gainesville, FL, we have put together the main definitions you need in order to make your ideal decision. HVAC HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. It is a broad phrase that refers to your full heating and cooling system. It is a technology that aims to offer ideal indoor air quality and thermal comfort. AC (Air Conditioner) An air conditioner is an appliance or system that regulates the temperature, humidity, and air quality of your space by removing heat and humidity from the inside of your home and transferring them to the outside. Air Filter An air filter is the device that keeps your indoor air and your HVAC system clean. Air filters are made of plastic resin or polyester fiber that has been thermally-bonded. Air filters catch dust and other airborne impurities in your home or business. Evaporator Coil The evaporator coil is the part of your heat pump or air conditioner that captures the heat from the inside air of your home, enabling the blower fan to circulate the cold and refreshing air back inside. Condenser Coil Condenser coils are an essential component of your air conditioning system that transfer the heat and moisture collected by the evaporator coil from within your home to expel it to the outside of your home. The evaporator and condenser coils are essential to the heat exchange cycle. Heat Pump A heat pump is a refrigeration system that provides warm or cool air for your home or business. Heat pumps absorb or expel heat from the outside of your home to distribute air with your desired temperature within your home or business through your ductwork. Ductwork The ductwork is a network of specialized pipes and channels that move and distribute the air coming from your unit around the inside of your home or business. Your ductwork connects to your HVAC system, whether it’s a furnace, an air conditioner, or a heat pump. Thermostat A thermostat is a temperature-control device that monitors and manages your home's heating or cooling system. It’s used to specify the temperature at which parts of your home need to be heated or cooled by your system. Furnace A furnace, also referred to as a heater or boiler, is an appliance that you can use to generate heat by burning a fuel source like natural gas or propane. The heat that these systems create is then distributed throughout all or part of your house to increase the indoor temperature. Dehumidifier A dehumidifier is a piece of equipment that lowers your home’s humidity level in the air. It works by cooling air until evaporated water converts from vapor to liquid and it removes the water to give you a less humid environment. Refrigerant The refrigerant is the substance that your HVAC system uses to cool your air. Diffuser A diffuser is a device installed to your ductwork to separate the air circulation within your home or business and properly distribute the airflow in your desired rooms and directions. Inverter Technology An inverter is an energy-saving technology that adjusts the motor speed and temperature of your system to prevent wasteful operation, resulting in continuous comfort and cost savings. Split System A split system is one of the most common types of residential air conditioning system in Gainesville due to its quiet and energy-efficient features. It splits into two units, one inside and one outside. Multi-split System A multi-split system uses multiple interior units connected to a single outdoor unit to heat and cool different portions of the house or to maintain a consistent temperature in one large space. These systems may heat or cool at the same time. SEER SEER stands for Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio in the heating and cooling industry. It measures the energy efficiency of your air conditioning system by dividing the cooling output of your system by the total energy utilized. 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