What to expect from HVAC servicing?
A HVAC system takes charge of cooling, heating, and ventilating your house. It is an elaborate system that needs servicing from time to time to ensure its smooth functioning. A proper servicing of the system goes beyond opening the external cover and changing the filter. HVAC systemic composed of an air conditioning and a furnace. It can have an electrical furnace, oil furnace or a gas furnace. The electric furnace needs the least maintenance. Oil furnaces needs frequent cleaning and servicing. The gas furnace falls somewhere between these two. The HVAC unit produces lots of water vapour during operation. The moisture and the condensate are to be drained. The drains have to be cleaned once in a year or at least once in two years.
A complete servicing would include inspecting and cleaning all the components. These include heat exchanger, coils, condensate pan, blower motor, and housing. The modern units have sealed blower motors that do not require oiling. But in older models the blower motor should be in spaced and oiled if needed. The blower assembly should be cleaned once in every five years. It should be done more frequently if the house is prone to dust. Gas heaters should be checked for efficiency and release of carbon monoxide at least in every two years. Leakage of Freon should always be checked in the AC unit. If there is leakage its should be repaired immediately. Remember Freon is expensive. Thankfully, Freon used in modern machines is not harmful.
Here is checklist for your HVAC serving professional:
• Test the gas furnace for release of carbon monoxide
• Check if there is any gas leakage in the furnace
• Test for Freon leaks in the AC unit
• Test the furnace for ignition system and gas pressure
• Test all the circuits and wiring in the system
• Take a look at the duct and quality of airflow.
• See if there are combustible sub stancearound the furnace
• Wash the filters of the system: replace them if needed
• Check, clean, and vacuum the heat exchanger
• Power on the system and check the amperage and voltage of blower motors
• Spruce and grease blower assembly as well as bearing
• Measure temperature of supply and return air and calculate the difference
• Attune the thermostat
• Check the coils, capacitors, valves and blades
• Monitor the working of the compressor
• Check Unit for Time Delay Relay and Isolation Pads
• Inspect suction line for proper fittings
The ductwork in is an essential part of your HVAC system. Although the HVAC is your protector against moulds and other microscopic pollutants, having your ducts laden with dirt can infect your indoor air as well. Cleaning your ducts is not a part of maintenance of your HVAC. However the serving professional can inspect and tell you whether your ducts need to be cleaned professionally. They can look at your ductwork to check for visible leaks which results in energy leakage. If there is a need for professional maintenance of ducts, you can contact a respective service provider and get it done by them.
How much does a HVAC service contract cost?
These days there are many service providers who have annual maintenance schemes of HVAC. It is very cost effective. You will always have a professional service at hand to inspect your system from time to time and get it repaired when something goes wrong. The cost of service will depend on types of tasks included in it. On an average they cost between $150 and $500 per year. They include inspections of both AC and furnace and often offer discounts on replacement parts. These maintenance services result in prolonged equipment life, reduced energy use, and seldom breakdowns. The cost of these annual maintenance schemes is 50 percent lower than the cost of maintaining equipment reactively.
How to select a HVAC serving professional?
If you check online for HVAC service provider, you will get an endless list of them. It is not an easy job to decide who’s best or who’s most suitable to your needs. Here are a few guidelines that will help you reach the right professional.
Ask for license and insurance: Quite a few states in the US provide license to HVAC professionals once they meet the criteria of minimum education and on-the-job experience. They also have to give some written test to hold the license. The HVAC companies also need some kind of insurance and bonding to get the license. Liability insurance is very important for HVAC service persons to protect a client in case of any accidental damage to the HVAC system. Ask the service provider to show these credentials.
Ask for references: He should be able to give you a list of past customers so that you can crosscheck his quality of service, expertise, experience, and track record. Makes sure that you call those references to know how their servicing projects fared.
Compare quotes: Always ask for quotes for undertaking your project. The cost will vary from company to company. But in that case ask him to document the project's total scope, details, and dates of commencement and completion.
Experience with your model: If you need to replace some components of your HVAC system ask the service provider about the brands of parts they carry. A single HVAC service provider will not have replacement parts of all brands. It is always better to hire companies that carry parts of the same brand that you own and also have the experience of working with the model you have.
Know the tax rebates: Whether you are installing or upgrading your system you are entitled to certain tax rebates. Know what incentives you are entitled to get. Ensure that the project is properly documented according to federal or state criteria for tax rebates. If you have payment plan for the entire project or will fund it through the HVAC Company’s line of credit, then read all the concerned documents.