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As a homeowner, it’s important to do everything you can to take good care of your home. Not only do you have to invest in maintenance and repairs, but you also have to make sure you aren’t putting any extra stress on the things in your home by using them wrong. Unfortunately, a lot of people pay for heating and air conditioning service because they use their HVAC system incorrectly. If you want to make sure you’re doing everything you can to keep the HVAC system in your home in good shape, here are 5 things you should avoid.

1. Overworking your HVAC system

If there’s one thing a lot of homeowners do wrong when it comes to heating and cooling, it’s overworking their HVAC system. You might think it’s a good idea to turn the thermostat way up or way down to quickly heat or cool your home, but it’s bad for many reasons.

For starters, overworking your HVAC system leads to mechanical wear and tear which then leads to more money spent on heating and air conditioning service. In some cases, a heating or cooling system may fail well before it should because of this wear and tear.

Aside from spending more money on service, you also have to consider how much you’re spending to heat or cool your home. The more conservative you are with your thermostat, the more money you’ll save on your power bill.

2. Not changing your air filter

One of the biggest mistakes you can make when it comes to causing problems with your HVAC system is not changing the air filter frequently enough. All the air that runs through your HVAC system eventually passes through the air filter, so it’s important to have a heating and air conditioning service expert change your air filter for you every once in a while.

If you don’t change your air filter often enough, the reduction in airflow will put a lot of additional wear and tear on your HVAC system. In the short term, this could lead to a lot less heating and cooling power. However, it can also severely shorten the lifespan of your AC or furnace.

When you’re having a new air filter installed, pay attention to the MERV rating. The higher the MERV rating, the more contaminants the filter removes. If you want the best indoor air quality, ask your heating and air conditioning service professional about a high MERV rating filter.

3. Not cleaning your AC and furnace

As far as having air conditioner or furnace maintenance done, most people don’t think about the little stuff. Sure, it’s important to have a professional take an in-depth look at things to make sure you don’t have any problems brewing, but it’s also a good idea to do a little bit of cleaning and maintenance on your own in the meantime.

While you should never actually work on an AC or furnace yourself, it’s your responsibility to keep the area around these units clean enough that they can operate at maximum efficiency. When a lot of debris builds up around a furnace or AC, it can reduce efficiency and even create fire hazards. Whether you have to move some things you’re storing around a furnace or simply clean leaves and other debris from around your AC unit, you can prevent problems while you wait for seasonal heating and air conditioning service.

4. Using a faulty thermostat

We already mentioned how using too much heating or cooling can cause problems with your HVAC system. For that very same reason, it’s important to make sure the thermostat you’re using in your Irving, TX, home is accurate. If your thermostat isn’t keeping your home at the temperature it’s showing, you could be using too much heating or cooling and overworking your HVAC system.

If you want to make sure your thermostat is in good shape, you can have a heating and air conditioning service test it. This is a fairly simple process that doesn’t take much time. If your thermostat isn’t accurate, you can buy a replacement for a fairly cheap price. Modern thermostats are significantly more accurate, plus you can find great, convenient features. If you want to be able to control the temperature in your home from your smartphone, you can find fairly affordable smart thermostats.

5. Waiting too long to replace

As simple as it may sound, many people end up having to call a heating and air conditioning service company because they simply waited too long to replace their AC or furnace. Things aren’t made to last forever, and heating and cooling systems tend to lose a lot of their power as time goes on.

An AC is designed to last about 10-15 years, although that depends on how often you use it and how well you maintain it. At the very least, you should have a heating and air conditioning expert look at your AC after 10 or so years to see if you need a new one.

Furnaces are made to last about 15 years on average, although some can last much longer than that. If you’ve had the same furnace in your home for a decade or more, now is a good time to have somebody take a look at it.

Professional Touch

Taking care of your HVAC system may be important, but it’s also a lot of work. The truth is, the best way to take care of your HVAC system is to get the help of a heating and air conditioning service professional.

At K&S Heating and Air of Irving, TX, we know what it takes to keep an HVAC system in good shape. From heating and air conditioning service to installation, we can do just about everything. Next time you need help with your heating or cooling system, call K&S Heating and Air at (972) 942-8077.