Spring is an excellent time for the HVAC system in your Thornton, CO home. Like autumn, spring is a moderate season with limited heating and cooling demand. It also offers the perfect opportunity to give HVAC equipment the care it deserves. The following are 10 tips to help you transition your HVAC system from winter to spring.
1. Swap Out Your HVAC Air Filter
The best way to prepare your HVAC system for any oncoming season is by changing its air filter. You should inspect this component once each month and change it every 30 to 60 days year-round. Clean air filters promote efficient AC operation. They also limit AC noise, improve indoor air quality, and prevent problems like icing and overheating.
Spring is also a good time to stock up on spare filters or make an HVAC air filter upgrade. If you have seasonal allergy sufferers in your household, opting for a filter with a higher maximum efficiency reporting value (MERV) rating will reduce the amount of allergens floating through the air.
2. Inspect and Clean Your HVAC Air Vents
When filter debris becomes too thick or too heavy, large clumps can get blown off when air conditioners and heaters are running. These materials are often deposited just behind HVAC air vents. They prevent conditioned air from flowing through and they can cause dramatic rises in indoor humidity and significant dips in indoor air quality (IAQ).
Before transitioning from heating to cooling, take some time to wipe all of the air vents throughout your home clean. If necessary, unscrew and remove your HVAC air vent covers and vacuum gently behind them.
It’s also important to make sure that all of your vents are open. While many people close HVAC air vents to direct unwanted air away from their immediate vicinities, extended vent closures can cause serious HVAC performance problems. If there are multiple closed vents throughout your home, consider scheduling air balancing services before the summer season arrives to ensure even air distribution.
3. Schedule Annual Air Duct Maintenance
HVAC air ducts need annual maintenance. Have your air ducts tested and inspected for leaks. According to the University of Florida, even when they’re in good condition, air ducts can be responsible for the loss of up to 40% of a home’s heating and cooling energy. Sealing up air leaks and repairing or replacing damaged duct sections will minimize these losses and contribute to cleaner air.
Get on Track With Air Duct Cleaning
Annual duct service minimizes stress on heat pumps and air conditioners by optimizing airflow. Duct cleaning can help to this end too. The National Air Duct Cleaners Association (NADCA) recommends having air ducts cleaned every two to three years. For springtime allergy sufferers, pre-season duct cleaning can make a world of difference in IAQ.
4. Clean up Around Your Outdoor Condenser Unit
Remove all debris from the perimeter of your AC or heat pump’s outdoor condenser unit. This unit should always have at least two feet of clearance on all sides. You should additionally trim all nearby shrubs, bushes, and grasses so that overgrowth doesn’t block airflow.
5. Schedule Tree and Roof Care
A key part of keeping your outdoor AC or heat pump condenser protected is caring for your roof and trees. Loose shingles, flashing, and other roofing elements could get blown off during heavy spring rains or other extreme weather events. Weak and dying limbs and branches can also come crashing down. Spring is an excellent time to schedule your annual roof inspection and to have your tree care company thin out dense tree canopies.
6. Have Your AC or Heat Pump Tuned Up
The most important step in transitioning your HVAC system to warm-weather operation is having your AC or heat pump tuned up. Annual maintenance services are essential for remaining compliant with HVAC equipment manufacturer warranties. These services give HVAC technicians the chance to catch and address small problems before they lead to shutdown or premature failure. With springtime maintenance, you can:
- Limit your risk of summertime cooling emergencies
- Boost your IAQ
- Cut your home cooling costs
- Identify the need for cooling system replacement early on
During spring AC and heat pump tune-up services, we inspect and clean indoor air handlers and outdoor condenser units. We check blower motors and blower fans, adjust fan speeds, lubricate moving parts, calibrate thermostats, and more. With our help, you can prime your cooling system for optimum performance all spring and summer long.
7. Tighten Your Home Envelope and Check Your Home’s Ventilation
The “V” in HVAC stands for ventilation. Ventilation plays a critical role in IAQ as it moves stale, stagnant indoor air out and allows fresh outdoor air in. Maintaining a properly ventilated home is a great way to minimize concentrations of gaseous chemicals, allergens, and illness-causing pathogens.
While some mechanical ventilation systems function autonomously, others are integrated into HVAC systems. If you have an integrated mechanical ventilation system, have it tuned up when tuning up your heat pump or AC or during air balancing services.
To assist with springtime humidity control, clean your bathroom exhaust fans and your range hood vent fan. These features extract moisture from steamy baths and showers and indoor cooking projects. More importantly, they ensure that your HVAC system’s own humidity control functions aren’t overwhelmed.
To support efficient HVAC system operation and minimize warm-weather energy losses, seal up cracks and gaps in building materials. As needed, you can also beef up your attic insulation and add weatherstripping to your windows and doors.
8. Update Your Thermostat
If you have a programmable thermostat, be sure to alter all pre-scheduled temperature changes to reflect changes in your own schedule and temperature control needs. If you have a standard thermostat, consider upgrading to a smart one. Smart thermostats are Wi-Fi-enabled and learning. Not only can homeowners adjust and monitor these devices remotely, but they can also get helpful filter change reminders and HVAC performance alerts. Best of all, over time, smart thermostats become increasingly adept at adjusting themselves. According to ENERGY STAR, having one of these devices installed could cut your summertime cooling costs by up to 8%.
9. Consider the Need for Integrated HVAC Accessories
In early spring, Thornton residents see an influx of tree pollen. In late spring, the air is filled with grass pollen. These airborne allergens cause grief for locals with chronic and seasonal allergies. As such, you might want to consider getting additional IAQ support. Integrated HVAC system accessories like media filters, air scrubbers, air purifiers, and sanitizing UV lights might be just what you need to keep bouts of sniffling, sneezing, and wheezing at bay.
Integrated HVAC system accessories are installed in HVAC air ducts or attached to them. They pick up the micro-fine allergens and contaminants that air filters miss. Some even release sanitizing and deodorizing agents. Updating your HVAC system with an IAQ accessory in spring will add value to your home, increase its marketability, and create a clean, comfortable escape from the allergen-heavy, outdoor air.
10. Change the Direction of Your Ceiling Plans
Ceiling fans are an excellent addition to summertime cooling plans, but only if they’re used correctly. During the warmer months of the year, your ceiling fans should be set to spin counterclockwise. This pushes a cooling breeze down toward residents and makes building interiors feel cooler than they are. Making this switch during your springtime maintenance will ensure that your fans are already working for you when higher temperatures arrive.
We proudly serve homeowners in Thornton, CO and the surrounding cities. We offer expert heating, cooling, plumbing, and drain services. We also provide new water heaters, sump pumps, and smart thermostats. For help getting your HVAC system spring-ready, get in touch with Jim Needham Heating Cooling Plumbing and Drain now!
