The new year is upon us, and residents of Portland, OR will join the rest of the nation in watching the ball drop in Times Square and perhaps making a New Year’s resolution or two. But the new year also makes a great time to schedule maintenance and repair sessions for the various components in your home. It’s less exciting than champagne and a kiss from your significant other, but it takes a lot of the hassle out of keeping your home in peak condition, and in the long run it could save you a great deal of money.
Maintenance for your AC and Heater
Maintenance starts with the core of your system: the heater and air conditioner. A session usually entails a thorough cleaning of the various components, changing the air filters, replacing loose fittings and frayed wires, tightening bolts to keep components from rattling in their housings, and recharging refrigerant levels to their specified amounts. If further repairs are needed or it looks like something ugly is waiting on the horizon, the session gives the technician time to spot it early and schedule a repair session before the issue gets out of hand. Ideally, you should schedule maintenance sessions twice each year: at the beginning and the end of cooling season.
Duct Cleaning and Repair
Along with the heater and air conditioner, your ducts can use a good cleaning as well, and if a breach has sprung up somewhere in their length, then the sooner you get it sealed, the better. Duct cleaning sessions remove the dust and dirt from your vents, which keeps them from circulating through your air whenever the HVAC system runs. Breaches can also interfere with your system, forcing it to work harder to do its job. A good technician can correct those problems with a proper duct cleaning or repair session.
From all of us here at The Clean Air Act, Happy New Year!