If your property has an HVAC system, chances are, you don’t really know how it works! HVAC stands for Heating Ventilations and Air Conditioning. It is a complicated system within your home or property that provides “conditioned” air so that you can live comfortably whether it be in air that is cooler or warmer. Believe it or not, your HVAC system needs regular maintenance just like many other parts of your home!
Your HVAC system is comparable to your car. Would you drive 200,000 miles without changing the oil? The same goes for your HVAC system, the more you take care of it, the longer it lasts. According to This Old House, a popular fixer-upper television show, with regular maintenance, your HVAC system can last from 15-25 years!
How do you know when it’s time to schedule maintenance? The more you understand and learn about this complicated system, the better the chance you have at avoiding any major problems with your HVAC. The 3 primary components of your system are the indoor unit/thermostat, the outdoor unit and the duct system. We will provide insight into each component and their major function within your home.
The Outdoor Unit
This might be the part of your HVAC system that you’re most familiar with. They can often be seen near the outside of your home. The indoor uses a refrigerant and it comes from the outdoor unit. The unit also contains a fan that cools the refrigerant so that it can be sent back into your house to meet the temperature you’ve set on your thermostat. In order to keep this up and running you, or your service professional, will want inspect the unit for proper refrigerant level, inspect the coils, fan motors and check for any obstructions near base pan.
The Indoor Unit
This part of your HVAC system draws in are through a filter for both heating and cooling. When the indoor unit is set to cooling, the air is passed through the filter and then passed over coils that have cooled refrigerant and then delivers the cooled air through the duct system. For heated air, this happens within the same air filter but is not put through the cooling process but is heated by electricity or gas and is delivered through your home through the duct system. To ensure your indoor unit works properly, inspect the blowers, coils and drain pans and clean if need be.
Duct System
Ducts are in place to deliver and remove heated or cooled air. This part of your HVAC system is also responsible for ventilating the air that comes from the indoor and outdoor units, ensuring that it is clean and has a high indoor air quality. Without ducts, air would become stale and odors would remain in your home for much longer.
These three components continuously work together to make sure that your family lives in a home that produces clean and comfortable air. If one piece fails, the other 2 cannot do the job. Make sure that you regularly schedule maintenance for your HVAC system. Call Blue Ox today to schedule maintenance with The Twin Cities most trusted heating and air conditioning experts!
