With the weather finally warming up, we find ourselves in that wonderful time of the year between turning off the heat and turning on the air conditioner. Spring cleaning isn’t just about getting rid of clutter and dusting; it’s also about home maintenance.

Maintenance and checkups are vital to extending the life of your heating and air conditioning systems, making them run efficiently, and decreasing your energy bills. Here’s a are springtime HVAC tips to get your system running efficiently during the spring.

1. Turn Off the System

As you prepare to turn off your unit for the season, look for loose connections, warning lights, or strange noises. If your furnace doesn’t seem to be running normally, let your HVAC maintenance company in NY know at your next maintenance appointment.

2. Change the Filter

One of the most often mentioned HVAC tips for spring is to change your HVAC filter. Make sure to clean and change the filters regularly—at least every 90 days. Changing a dirty filter can make the unit up to 5% more efficient. Pet owners and allergy sufferers can change their filters more often, even monthly.

Upgrade the filter, too. With a new, high-efficiency pleated filter, you can improve your air quality and system performance. A step-up from standard filters, these have an electrostatic charge that attracts dust and bacteria and traps them.

3. Check for Air Leaks

If your house isn’t well sealed, even the best HVAC system will struggle to cool it. When you’re cleaning up your house, keep an eye out for places where air can leak. Check the weather stripping around the windows, door jambs, and door seals. It’s probably time to replace your weather stripping and seals if they’re cracked, detached, or warped. 

4. Open the Windows

During the winter, the air quality in your home can actually go down. Mold can grow if there isn’t enough fresh air circulating. Luckily, it’s easy to fix. Open your windows and sliding doors to allow fresh air to flow throughout your home, naturally ventilating all the rooms.

5. Turn on Fans

Spring and fall are the best times to enjoy fresh air and natural temperatures. Also, these are the two times of the year you can save a lot on utilities.

Close the window shades and curtains before leaving the house to extend this period of energy savings. During the day, this will cut down on the amount of sun coming in. Ceiling and box fans can also keep you comfy and help you save energy, but remember to turn them off when you leave, because they cool people, not rooms. In the spring, use ceiling fans to circulate fresh air and improve air quality before turning on the air conditioner.

6. Clean Registers

Cleaning supply vents and intake grills is good in the spring. Make sure every register is open and that the air is flowing freely. Furniture, rugs, and curtains shouldn’t block the air conditioner. To clean the grills, remove them from the vents, vacuum to get rid of dust and pet hair, then wash them with warm water and mild soap.

7. Dust Off the Lights and Electronics

Electronics and other electrical devices run slower when dust gets on them. Clean the blades of any bathroom fans while you’re at it.

8. Check Out the Ducts

Make sure the duct work isn’t damaged. Now is the time to get your ducts cleaned professionally. You should clean out your ducts before turning on the A/C. We recommend doing it every five to seven months.

9. Adjust the Thermostat

Get a programmable thermostat before summer hits if you don’t already have one. It’s great for saving energy and keeping the HVAC unit from running when there’s no need for cooling. It’s easy to set the thermostat so your house is comfortable when you get home.

10. Inspect the Outdoor HVAC Unit

For best performance when the summer heat hits, make sure the outdoor unit is level and on a stable surface. Look for signs that the condenser was damaged during the winter, too. If you see anything out of the ordinary, call your HVAC guy. When it comes time to turn on the air conditioner, a damaged condenser could cause issues.

Let Us Service Your HVAC Unit

At 24 Service HVAC, our goal isn’t just to keep you comfortable but to make the process enjoyable and easy for you. As a professional residential HVAC company in Syracuse, NY, we provide full service with a wide range of experience.

Let us give you options that fit your needs, and you decide what to do. We tell you the cost up front so there are no surprises. Best of all, with our emergency service, we will be there for you when the unexpected happens.

Get started by calling us at 315-399-9962 to get a no-obligation, free quote for your HVAC system.