Your HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) units are essential to your home and life. They keep the air you breathe clean and comfortable and can last for years when attention is paid to their upkeep. Preventative maintenance aims to keep more substantial, more expensive problems from rising down the line.

Unfortunately, many homeowners don’t worry about their furnaces, air conditioning, or ventilation systems until something has gone wrong. Often, these appliances are out of sight from one’s daily routine, so they get forgotten. But it’s worth paging yourself a reminder to conduct routine maintenance. You don’t always need a professional’s involvement to do this. You don’t need much HVAC knowledge of any kind, either. The following guide will tell you how to do your part to keep your HVAC units up and running without issues.

Buy A Quality Air Filter

Not all air filters will keep your air and HVAC units clean. When shopping for an air filter, look for two phrases: “pleated” and “energy-efficient.” These filters are the best at grabbing particles in the air and keeping them away from your breathing air and the components of your HVAC unit.

Replace Your Furnace Filter Every Few Months

Every 90 days, your furnace filter should be changed to a new one to ensure optimum performance. Some homes might need this filter changed more often, particularly if dust usually gets inside (like if you live on a farm) or if you have pets that shed fur and dander. You might need to change this once a month instead of every three months. Look for MERV-rated filters; a MERV 11 filter would be ideal.

Clear The HVAC Unit Area Of Debris

Whenever you have a big storm, or just now and then as you work outside of your home, it’s best to inspect any external HVAC units, particularly air conditioners. A quick pickup of the area will remove debris that could clog your system.

Inspect The Refrigerant Lines

You should inspect the lines of your AC unit once every month to ensure that none are missing or damaged. Then, replace those that are broken or missing.

Be Mindful Of The Season

In summer, when you do not need to use your furnace, turn off the water supply that goes to it. Then, when you’re ready to use the furnace in the Fall or winter, replace the humidifier wick filter before turning on the water supply.

Replace Carbon Monoxide Detector Batteries

You need to replace the batteries on your carbon monoxide detector at least once or twice per year. When your filter isn’t working correctly, it can leak carbon monoxide into the air. This odorless gas can cause terrible sickness and even death when people are exposed to it. The best advice is to have several detectors in your home at different points and replace all of their batteries at least once each year.