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When your HVAC unit runs efficiently, you save money, says Rob Shealey (right), owner of Palmetto Breeze Heating and Air Conditioning. He recommends routine maintenance to clean the coils—a job best left to the professionals.
Photo by Diane Veto Parham
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For more tips on replacing an air conditioning system, download the free guide “Questions to ask when replacing your HVAC.”
Photo by Ford Tupper
Hotter than normal. Hard to believe after the arctic blasts of the winter we just endured, but that’s the forecast for June and July in South Carolina.
Even if your home’s HVAC system kept you toasty all winter, that’s no guarantee it will be ready to keep you cool when “hotter than normal” shows up, so now is a good time to give your home’s cooling system a thorough checkup and some preventive maintenance.
Pay attention now, or pay for repairs later
During South Carolina’s infamously hot summers, HVAC contractor Rob Shealy sees enough failing air conditioning units to know this: the dirtiest and most neglected systems die first when temperatures start to climb.
Considering that it costs around $3,500 to $5,000 to replace a heating, ventilation and air conditioning system, a homeowner’s budget can benefit from regular maintenance that minimizes expensive repairs and extends the life of the system. Routine maintenance also keeps your HVAC system operating at peak efficiency, and that can yield savings in monthly utility bills, since more than half of the energy used in a typical home goes toward cooling and heating.
“It’s costing customers to use the system when it’s not running efficiently,” says Shealy, owner of Palmetto Breeze Heating and Air Conditioning in North.
Signs of trouble
Three questions can alert a homeowner to a cooling system in need of attention.
Have the air filters been changed lately? This is the simplest—and most frequently ignored—way to improve HVAC efficiency, Shealy says. If your system seems to be struggling, put in new filters first.
When was the last time the system was serviced? “A lot of people don’t even think about it until it goes down,” Shealy says. A quick fix when a system breaks does nothing to ensure its overall health and efficiency. A regular checkup will inspect and correct the most common problem areas.
Does the system seem to be running normally? Put a hand over the supply registers—is cool air coming out? Feel the air coming out the top of the condenser unit outside; in summer, it should feel hot, because that’s the hot air your system is taking out of the house. Look at the condensate drain line (the small, white, PVC pipe sticking out of the house or the HVAC unit). It should be dripping water, carrying moisture out of the house along with the heat. If it’s not, there’s a problem.
Michael Smith, manager of energy programs for Central Electric Power Cooperative, encourages homeowners to use their ears to detect potential problems. Listen for whether the system is especially noisy or running more often than usual.
“If it’s not that hot outside, but your system seems to be running all the time and you’re not feeling cool, first check the filters,” Smith says. “Then call somebody, because something is wrong.”
Do-it-yourself maintenance
What can homeowners do to keep their HVAC systems in top condition?
Keep it clean: First and often, change those air filters. David Bolin, owner of B&B Heating and Cooling in North, advises homeowners to use inexpensive, disposable filters and change them monthly. It’s a minimal expense, he says, but “90 percent of people won’t change ’em.”
Another easy but overlooked maintenance step: Clear blockages from where the condensate line drains outside.
Let it breathe: Think of your air conditioner as a system that inhales and exhales. Anything that restricts air flow is making it harder for the system to breathe.
Refrigerant coils—at the condenser unit outside and at the evaporator in attics or crawl spaces—are critical places where air needs to flow freely to move cool air in and warm air out. But homeowners often block the air by storing equipment too close to these units or by trying to make their yards more attractive by screening units with shrubbery or fencing.
“We all know they’re not pretty; we all know they’re noisy,” Smith says. “But it needs to breathe to do its job.”
Before you crank up the air conditioning for the first time, make sure no leaves or debris have accumulated around the outdoor unit. Move any equipment or screens at least 18 inches away to give them breathing room. Cut back bushes that have grown too close.
When you’re doing yard work, turn the lawnmower and weed trimmer away from outdoor condenser units, Bolin advises. Grass clippings and dirt can fly into the coils and clog the air flow.
You might notice accumulated dirt on outdoor and indoor coils, but Bolin and Shealy agree that cleaning the coils is a job better left to professionals. An overzealous homeowner with a pressure washer can do irreparable damage to the metal fins covering coils, and even a gentle squirt from the garden hose can make clogs worse by leaving wet dirt and debris adhering to the unit.
Control the thermostat. When temperatures are especially high, remember your air conditioner has to work harder and run longer to satisfy the thermostat setting. “Give in a little to the fact that it’s hotter,” Smith advises, and set the thermostat a little higher.
Clear indoor vents. Move furniture away from supply registers that distribute air and from return air vents, which pull air into the system. Bent fins on vent covers can also block air flow, so make sure yours are straight and open.
Seal the leaks. Even the most efficient HVAC system will struggle to cool a house with intrusive air leaks that allow hot, humid air to be pulled inside. Shealy recommends making sure your attic and crawl spaces are well insulated to resist the flow of hot air through ceilings and floors into cooled living spaces. Ductwork that runs through these areas should also be well sealed; leaks here can diminish both air quality and the efficient operation of your HVAC system.
Weather stripping can help prevent humid air from seeping in around doors and windows and raising a home’s indoor humidity to uncomfortable levels. “The more moisture in the air, the warmer you feel,” Shealy says.
If you find yourself constantly adjusting the thermostat and still not feeling cooler, humidity is the likely culprit. Caulking or adding weather stripping helps keep humid air out and conditioned air in.
Professional maintenance
Shealy recommends a routine service inspection once or twice a year by a qualified HVAC contractor as the best way to keep your system operating efficiently and prevent costly repairs.
“I can head most anything off in one visit a year,” he says. “But I can definitely cover it in two visits a year.”
Service contracts covering basic maintenance may cost about $65 to $160 per visit, but they include specialized maintenance that most homeowners shouldn’t attempt. During a typical check-up, a qualified technician will inspect the thermostat and electrical controls, clean inside and outside coils, replace dirty filters, inspect and clean condensate lines, clean and lubricate moving parts, and ensure the air conditioner’s refrigerant is at the proper level.
Shealy says word of mouth is your best ally in finding a reputable contractor—ask friends and neighbors who are happy with theirs. Consumers should also get quotes from multiple contractors before committing to a service contract or recommended repairs. If a service technician suggests you spend money on new equipment, ask whether he gets a commission on that sale. “He may be padding his own pocket rather than trying to make your life more comfortable,” Shealy says.
A good HVAC technician will not only keep your system running smoothly, he’ll help create good indoor air quality.
“It’s an investment in comfort, and it’s an investment in the value of your home,” Shealy says.
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Out with the old?
If your air conditioning fails when you need it most this summer, should you repair it or just replace it?
The answer depends on the age of your system, says David Bolin of B&B Heating and Cooling. Simple repairs and regular maintenance can extend the life of an older system, but any air conditioner that is more than a decade old is a good candidate for replacement.
“If you get 10 to 12 years out of one, you’ve done good,” he says. “If your unit is 10 years old or older, there are more energy-efficient units now.”
When replacing or installing an air conditioning unit, it’s important to select a system that is the proper size for the home. People tend to think bigger is always better, says Rob Shealy of Palmetto Breeze Heating and Air Conditioning, but that’s not true for HVAC units.
A qualified contractor can calculate the right size for your system, based on factors like your home’s building materials, insulation, which direction windows face, the color of roof shingles and more.
For more tips on replacing an air conditioning system, download the free guide “Questions to ask when replacing your HVAC.”