Photo By New Africa at Shutterstock

As nice as it is to own a home, it also comes with a ton of responsibility. It’s especially important to make sure you’re taking care of your HVAC system since you rely on it so heavily during the summer and winter. Unfortunately, homeowners spend a lot of money on heating and air conditioning repairs because they don’t keep up with regular maintenance. If you’re wondering how often you need to maintain the heating and cooling systems in your Rowlett, TX, home, we’ve got all the information you need.

Seasonal Maintenance

If there’s one thing you need to stay on top of in order to avoid expensive HVAC repairs, it’s seasonal maintenance. Whether you’re talking about a car, an air conditioner, or your computer, things need maintenance if you want them to last a long time and keep performing at a high level.

Seasonal maintenance is the best way to go when it comes to your air conditioner. One difficult part about HVAC maintenance is the fact that it can be hard to find a time when you can service your heating and cooling systems and not have them running. The best thing to do is have any HVAC maintenance done during the spring and fall since you won’t be using your heating and cooling as much then.

It’s also important to have heating and air conditioning repairs done during the spring and fall so you can prepare your HVAC system for the demanding seasons. As long as you stick to this schedule, you’re doing better than a lot of homeowners.

Changing Your Air Filter

In addition to keeping up with seasonal maintenance, there are other things you can do to keep your heating and cooling systems in good shape. Your air filter is one of the most important parts of your HVAC system because it’s responsible for preventing small particles like dust and dirt from entering your home. Plus, changing your air filter regularly helps promote better airflow, which means you’ll get more efficient heating and cooling with fewer heating and air conditioning repairs.

So, how often should you change your air filter? For a normal household, you can get away with changing your air filter once every six months or so. If you’ve got a pet or live with others, you should change your air filter at least every three months. For those who have pets and a large family, you should be changing your air filter once a month to avoid making heating and air conditioning repair calls.

How Old Is Your Heating and Cooling System?

Another thing you need to consider when it comes to heating and air conditioning service is how old your HVAC system is. If you have a newer HVAC system, you want to be particularly vigilant about taking good care of it so it lasts longer. If your HVAC system is older, you might want to consider upgrading to something newer and more efficient instead of spending money on heating and air conditioning repairs.

On average, an air conditioner will last somewhere between 15 and 25 years. A forced-air furnace also has a respectable lifespan of about 15 to 20 years on average. If your heating and cooling systems haven’t been replaced in more than 20 years, now is a good time to consider upgrading to something new so you’re not spending unnecessary money on frequent heating and air conditioning repairs in Rowlett, TX.

Upgrading Your HVAC System

If you’ve got an old HVAC system that’s on its way out, there is some good news. Since you’re already replacing your heating and cooling systems with newer variants, now is a perfect time to upgrade to more efficient or feature-filled models. You’ve got lots of different options when it comes to upgrading your HVAC system, including switching to a different type of unit entirely.

The first thing you want to consider is efficiency. You can find both furnaces and air conditioners that are marketed as “high-efficiency.” If you want to make sure you’re getting the very best in terms of energy efficiency, you can also opt for a model that’s certified by ENERGY STAR.

You might also want to consider a ductless mini-split instead of a single central AC unit and furnace. Ductless mini-splits are easy for heating and air conditioning repair experts to install since they don’t require ducts, plus they can provide zoned heating and cooling for the ultimate comfort in your home.

Additional Upkeep

There are some other things you should keep in mind if you want to be a responsible HVAC system owner. In addition to changing your air filter regularly and scheduling seasonal maintenance twice each year, you should keep an eye out for any problems and call a heating and air conditioning repair company when you notice something is wrong.

Another thing you can do to keep your furnace and AC in good shape is clean them. It might not seem like much help, but simply keeping debris away from the area around a furnace or AC can make a big difference.

Finally, make sure you’re not pushing your air conditioner or furnace too hard. While you may want to keep your home at a comfortable temperature, you should never turn the thermostat to a point where your furnace or AC runs continuously throughout the day.

K&S Makes It Easy

You’ve got quite the responsibility to take on when it comes to taking care of your HVAC system, from keeping up with maintenance to staying on top of heating and air conditioning repair. Thankfully, a good technician can make things simple. If you need help taking care of your HVAC system, K&S Heating & Air is here to help. Whether you need a new air filter, seasonal maintenance, or a new AC unit, we’ve got you covered. Call K&S Heating & Air at 972-942-8078 today to schedule an appointment.