The HVAC system in your Fayetteville, North Carolina, home is more than just the outdoor air conditioning unit and the furnace. It’s a complex set of machinery that works with features of your home to provide the indoor temperatures you want. It also works to filter your indoor air and regulate your indoor humidity. Each component of the HVAC system, from the ducts to the coils, works to create an efficient whole. When one component needs maintenance, the whole system suffers.
The Ducts
Your home’s ductwork is the delivery system for temperature treated air. Homes with central air conditioning have ductwork. When the ductwork is in good condition and working as it should, you’re comfortable. Ductwork wears out like everything else and needs inspection and maintenance to continue operating efficiently. Ductwork can be responsible for some serious inefficiencies in your system if it’s in damaged or in bad condition. Holes, rust, and dirt will impede the air flowing through the ductwork, meaning you don’t get the temperature you desire no matter how hard your HVAC system works.
The Coils
The evaporator coils facilitate the heat exchange process that creates cold air. These coils are filled with cold fluid. The air conditioner passes warm air over the coils, which in turn absorb the heat from the air, and cools it down. As the liquid in the coils heats up, it becomes a gas. That gas goes into the condenser unit, where it’s pressed into a cold liquid again.
The process involving the coils is so important to how efficient your air conditioner is overall. If the coils are dirty or the condenser needs repair, the exchange process doesn’t happen as quickly or as well. Your air conditioner then has to work harder to provide cool air. It will probably stay on longer as a result and consume excess electricity. You may feel the air that the system provides isn’t cool enough, so you’ll change the temperature on the thermostat as a result.
The Vents
The vents connect to the ducts and deliver the treated air into your home, providing you with the desired temperature. Vents usually have metal slats to help you direct or control the flow of air. Vents can become dirty easily, so make sure you dust them regularly whenever you clean the house. Do not close your vents. You might think you’re saving energy by not heating or cooling certain rooms, but closing the vents could damage the ductwork and won’t improve air conditioning in other parts of the house. Your HVAC system has been sized for your entire home, not just for some rooms. A correctly sized system is essential to attaining peak efficiency.
The Filters
Your air conditioner and furnace have filters that need to be changed once every two months or so. Some homeowners are diligent about this small piece of HVAC maintenance, while others forget. When you leave a dirty filter in your HVAC system, eventually all the debris it’s pulled out of the air starts blowing back through the vents because the filter simply can’t hold anything else. You end up with indoor air quality problems like pet dander, allergens, and dust blowing through your house. Plus, your HVAC system has to work harder to push the air through a dirty filter, which hampers its efficiency.
The Thermostat
Constantly changing the thermostat’s settings to make it warmer or cooler in the house will cause the system to consume more energy. Heating or cooling an empty house also will waste energy. When you’re home, aim for a setting of 78 degrees in the summer, and 68 degrees in the winter. When you’re away, you can program the thermostat up or down about eight degrees, based on the season, so the system can maintain an efficient temperature without using too much extra energy.
Call Bass Air Conditioning Company at (910) 672-8885 if you’re experiencing problems with any component of your HVAC system. Even if things are working fine, it may be time for a preventive maintenance check. Give us a call to schedule an appointment or if you’d just like further information.
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