Category: HVAC Maintenance

4 Benefits for Getting Your HVAC Checked in the Fall

Posted on | by 360 AIR TECH

Our homes are our safe havens to live in comfort and security. Since the heating and cooling system in our homes is one of the most crucial pieces of equipment to keep in good working order, it makes sense to keep it maintained. How often should you get your HVAC system checked? Checking your HVAC system more often leaves less chance that you will have a surprise breakdown. A good strategy for when you get your system checked out is to plan on twice a year, once in the Spring and once in the Fall.

When the cooler weather is moving in, that is a good time to schedule a free inspection by 360 Air Tech's heating and air conditioning professionals to assure sure your HVAC is in good working order.

Following is a quick summary of a few benefits of getting your HVAC checked in the Fall.

Four benefits of getting your HVAC checked in the Fall

  • Dependability: Here in Virginia, you probably haven’t had your heat on since last March or April. You probably haven’t given much thought to it. Be prepared. Think ahead and be ready for the cold weather before it gets here. Have confidence that you will have heat when you need it.
  • Less Breakdowns: You really don’t want to face an unexpected breakdown in your heating system. Having your HVAC service company check out your system before cold weather hits, can catch potential problems before they happen.
  • Efficiency: Lubricating where needed and tightening connections will cause your system to work more efficiently and will save on your heating bill. You should also use this time to check your air filters. Clean or replace according to the manufacturer’s instructions. This will help the efficiency of your system as well as keep your house cleaner (refer to 4th benefit).
  • Cleaner house: Cleaning out the dust and debris around your unit keeps the dust from your ducts and makes for a cleaner house and cleaner air quality.

Why get my HVAC inspected in the Fall? It isn’t that cold yet

Why get your HVAC inspected in the Fall, instead of waiting till Winter when it is colder? Because that may be a bit more inconvenient to get on the schedule with your technician, and it leaves open the potential for you to be caught with a breakdown in the dead cold of the winter season.

Avoid being caught out in the cold. When the cold hits many people turn on their heat assuming it will work and work well. Too often they discover their heating system needs repair. It may be running poorly or not at all. This causes your HVAC technician to be very busy, and in that situation, you may need to wait for service or pay extra for emergency service. Schedule early and avoid the delay!

Air Conditioning Maintenance Tips

Posted on | by 360 AIR TECH

As the summer heats up, we rely more and more on our air conditioners to keep our homes cool. It is recommended that you have an HVAC technician complete regular maintenance on your system two times a year.  Once before you switch on the air conditioning, and once before you turn on the heat is a great time for a check-up. However, you can help to ensure that your HVAC system runs smoothly in-between visits by doing a few things on your own.

Following are a few air conditioning maintenance tips to help assure you get the best performance from your HVAC system.

Maintenance Tips

  • Trim Plants: The outdoor portion of your HVAC system is usually a grey box that sits somewhere next to the house. When cooling air, this needs to be able to blow out old, hot air and bring in new air. Make sure there are no plants in the way of airflow. If they are touching the unit, they could potentially inhibit airflow. Simply trim back the branches with a pair of hedge trimmers, and check periodically to make sure they didn’t grow back.
  • Clean Condenser Unit: Every so often, it is important to check the outdoor condenser unit for debris, such as leaves or fallen tree limbs. These things can also inhibit airflow.
  • Keep Vents Open: Some homeowners want to save money on their heating and cooling bills by blocking off rooms that are not in use. They might close the vent in the guest room, thinking that it will help cool the rest of the house more efficiently. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Blocking the vents by closing them, or by covering them with furniture only creates problems for your HVAC system. In a traditional system, air is being forced through the ducts on a one-way path. If a vent is closed or covered, the air has nowhere to exit, and then creates a bit of a traffic jam. The jam causes the system to work even harder, and that decreases its efficiency. If you are interested in zone heating and cooling for spaces that you don’t use all the time, give 360 Air Tech a call.
  • Change Filters: One of the easiest and most important things you can do to keep your HVAC system running efficiently is to change the filter regularly. The filter helps to remove irritants from the air that you would otherwise breathe in. You can subscribe to have filters delivered on a schedule. This way you don’t have to keep track of when to change the filter. A new filter arrives in the mail, and you know it’s time to change it. Not only does the filter involve air quality, but it also involves efficiency. If a filter is not changed enough, it becomes clogged and air cannot move through it efficiently. This can make the whole system have to work harder to push through the clog.
  • Smart Thermostat: upgrading to a smart thermostat might seem more like a tech fad than an essential for your HVAC system. However, they are helpful in the name of efficiency. Smart thermostats can be controlled remotely from a smartphone which is convenient if you go away on vacation. But they do more than that. They are constantly collecting data to learn your habits, your likes, and your dislikes. If you turn the temperature up before you leave for work in the summer, the thermostat will learn this habit and do it for you. And it will bring the temperature down a few degrees just before you get home. How is this more efficient than you doing it manually? Because it can adjust the temperature at an optimal rate. If you get home at 4:30 every day and change the temperature from 76 to 73, your HVAC system is going to bring the temperature down as fast as possible. So, you changed the temperature at 4:30, and by 4:40 it is 73 degrees.
  • The system worked quickly: not efficiently. If you have a smart thermostat, it learns that you want the temperature to be 73 degrees when you get home. So, it will start bringing the temperature down at a slower, more efficient rate, and you walk in the door into a comfortable room. If you are interested in upgrading to a smart thermostat, 360 Air Tech help you choose the one that is right for you. Give us a call today!

We hope these air conditioning maintenance tips help you save money and extend the life of your HVAC unit. Don't forget to join our 360 HVAC Maintenance Savings Club to get exclusive benefits on service and maintenance of your heating and air conditioning system. Call us at 757-630-7678 today!

The Importance of HVAC Preventative Maintenance

Posted on | by 360 AIR TECH

The importance of HVAC preventative maintenance cannot be underestimated. Having an HVAC system in your home means that you can stay cool as summer temperatures heat up. However, it is vital that you take care of your unit so that it can run as efficiently as possible. No one wants to call in the HVAC specialist on the hottest day of the year due to a malfunction - so keep your system in tip-top shape by scheduling preventative HVAC maintenance today! There are so many reasons why maintaining your HVAC system is important, here are just a few to consider.

Save yourself money

Preventative maintenance can save you a ton of money, in many different ways. The most obvious way is through efficiency. The more efficient your system is, the less money you spend to keep your home cool. Another big way maintenance saves you money is by extending the life of your system. To replace an HVAC system, the costs can range from $5,000 to more than $10,000. The lifespan of a system, without maintenance, is between 10 and 15 years, but with regular preventative maintenance, systems can live an additional 10 years. So would you rather buy a new HVAC system every 10 years, or would you rather maintain your current system for 25 years? Seems like a no-brainer.

Keep your loved ones safe

Preventative maintenance can literally be a lifesaver. Most HVAC technicians recommend 2 visits a year: 1 before turning on your cooling system, and 1 before switching to heat in the fall. By inspecting your system, you can make sure that the air your system is moving throughout your home is clean and safe. Especially in the spring and fall, allergens such as pollen and other outside irritants pass through the system’s air filters. By changing filters and making sure your system is running properly, you can help your loved ones breathe more easily. In the colder months, there is the risk of carbon monoxide exposure. By scheduling preventative maintenance with a fully certified technician, that risk is lowered. We can also install carbon monoxide detectors.

Help the environment

A system that runs efficiently uses less energy, and less energy helps the environment. If a system is not well-maintained, more energy must be used to cool the air and push it throughout the home. A duct that is leaking air up into the attic is draining the efficiency from your system, just like a clogged air filter is forcing the system to try to push past the blockage. By scheduling preventative maintenance, you are making sure your system is running as efficiently as possible. If issues are discovered, technicians will make the proper adjustments or repairs to get you back on track. Stay cool while helping the environment.

Spot potential issues

Our technicians are highly trained with years of experience. When completing preventative maintenance, they know what to look for. Not only are they going to spot current problems, but they will also be on the lookout for potential issues. That way they can catch it and fix it before it becomes bigger. There is nothing worse than having your air conditioning cut out on the hottest day of the year.

Maintaining your HVAC system is vital, especially during the summer months. Save money, save energy, and save yourself peace of mind. Give us a call today at 360 Air Tech to schedule your next HVAC preventative maintenance visit. Get it on the calendar before the summer heat hits!

Prepare Your HVAC System for Summer

Posted on | by 360 AIR TECH

Summer is quickly approaching and you want to make sure your A/C can handle it! Here are some practical tips to prepare your HVAC system for the summer. It's part of the steps you can take to avoid having to replace or repair a home A/C unit.

Change the filter

The single easiest, and least expensive thing you can do to help your HVAC system run smoothly is to change the filter regularly. If you order filters online, you can even have the deliveries scheduled ahead of time. This way you don’t have to keep track of when you changed it last. The filter arrives in the mail and you know it’s time to change it. That’s it. Why do you need to change your filter? First of all, filters obviously filter out many of the little particles floating through the air - pet dander, pollen, dust mites, mold, and hundreds of other airborne irritants. As the filter becomes full of these, it can’t filter as well, and air can’t pass through it as easily. A clogged, old filter means you aren’t breathing clean air, and your HVAC system is working harder to pass air through the filter. So not only is it gross, it’s also costing you money on your monthly energy bill.

Smart thermostat

Upgrade your thermostat to a smart thermostat. Programmable thermostats are awesome because you can tell them what temperatures you prefer throughout the day. If you leave your home for the day, allowing the temperature to rise a few degrees in the summer while you are out can help lower your energy bill. However, that’s assuming you remember to program it. If you have a smart thermostat, it will save you even more money. You can remotely control the settings while you are out. If you are on vacation and have to come home early, you can adjust the temperature before you arrive, rather than waiting to do it when you get home. Smart thermostats are also very helpful because they are always collecting data. Maybe you like to lower the temperature a few degrees before bed. After a few days, the thermostat will learn your habit, and automatically start adjusting things. Because smart thermostats can be controlled by smartphones, the thermostat knows when you are driving home, even if it’s not part of your schedule. It can adjust the temperature incrementally to optimize efficiency, while still making sure you are comfortable. There are quite a few models to choose from, so you should talk to an HVAC specialist about which is right for you.

Remove debris

To prepare your HVAC system for summer, you should regularly check and remove debris from your outdoor unit. You know, the big grey box that blows hot air in the summer? Take a quick look at it every week or so to make sure that there aren’t leaves, sticks, or other debris blocking airflow. If the hot air is blocked on its way outside, the whole system will have to work harder. A harder working system means higher energy bills and a shorter lifespan for your air conditioning.

Fix Leaky Ductwork

According to the University of Florida, ducts that leak 20% can cause your system to work 50% harder. That means higher energy bills and a shorter lifespan. A system that was supposed to last 20 years might only work for 10 years, and HVAC units aren’t cheap.

By scheduling routine maintenance, you can catch issues like this before they become more costly. Most HVAC specialists recommend routine maintenance twice a year. Once in the spring, before you start using the air conditioning, and once in the fall, before switching over to heating. Prepare your HVAC unit for summer before things heat up.

Don’t wait until you start to notice issues with your HVAC unit, take preventative measures. Give 360 Air Tech a call to schedule your appointment to prepare your HVAC unit for summer!