Congrats on purchasing your first home! You are no doubt pleased with your investment, though you might feel weighed down by all these new responsibilities. Now that you’re the owner, not the renter, it’s your job to care for all your home’s appliances and systems, including the heating and cooling equipment.

If the only interaction you’ve ever had with a furnace or air conditioner is to use the thermostat, you have plenty to learn. Try these HVAC system suggestions for new homeowners.

Know the聽Different Elements聽of an HVAC System

HVAC stands for heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Unless you live in聽a perpetually comfortable聽climate, your new home聽likely聽has this system to keep you warm聽in聽the winter and cool聽throughout聽the summer. Here are the聽important聽parts of an HVAC system:

Comfort聽units,聽such as聽an air conditioner, air-source heat pump, furnace, boiler, geothermal heat pump or ductless mini-split, to name a few聽possibilities.
Ductwork聽fixed聽to return and supply registers聽in the case of聽air-forced systems聽such as聽ACs, heat pumps and furnaces.
Radiators or hot water distribution systems聽in the case of聽boilers.
Indoor air quality聽products,聽such as聽an air filter, whole-house humidifier, whole-house dehumidifier, air purifier or energy-recovery ventilator.
Thermostat for indoor聽comfort聽control.

Appreciate聽the Importance of Preventive Maintenanceeeeee

When you聽were renting your home,聽your聽landlord聽most likely聽took care of聽HVAC maintenance tasks聽such as聽replacing the air filter. They may or may not have聽foot聽the bill for聽thorough聽heating and cooling inspections.

Now that you’re聽taking care of things, you can聽give聽preventive maintenance the attention it deserves. First,聽prioritize聽these do-it-yourself HVAC maintenance tasks:

Change聽the air filter every 30 to 90 days.
Carefully聽hose down the outdoor unit and聽pare back聽vegetation to聽improve聽airflow.
Keep all air registers open to聽maintain聽proper system balance.

Then,聽schedule聽yearly聽maintenance for each HVAC unit. Only聽a qualified聽professional can聽execute聽in-depth tasks like cleaning the furnace burners, recharging the AC refrigerant and聽measuring聽air leaks in the ductwork.聽Expect聽the following聽benefits聽when you聽get聽a professional to inspect your system聽once a year:

Energy savings
Fewer breakdowns
Lower聽repair bills
Superior聽home comfort
Extended聽system life span
Peace of mind

Look Out聽for Signs of Trouble

Repairing and replacing the HVAC system is the homeowner’s聽job. Watch for these聽signals聽that it’s time to聽contact聽a heating and cooling聽professional:

Excess聽noise: Don’t聽dismiss聽a聽whining, rattling, clanking or banging sound. It聽could聽be a cry for help from聽your聽furnace or air conditioner.
Comfort or air quality聽trouble:聽Inconsistent聽temperatures, high or low humidity,聽stagnant聽rooms and聽mold-like聽smells聽are聽often聽linked to聽defective聽HVAC equipment.
Reduced聽energy efficiency: Are your bills聽unexpectedly聽increasing? This聽might聽mean your heating and cooling system isn’t聽running聽correctly.
Old age: Like all mechanical聽systems, HVAC systems聽eventually聽wear out. The聽average聽life span of a furnace or boiler is 15 years, while air conditioners and heat pumps聽run聽just about聽a decade.

Learn More About聽the HVAC Replacement Process

If聽your聽damaged聽furnace or air conditioner can’t be聽restored, you’ll need to replace it with an HVAC聽professional's聽help. Here’s how聽it聽works:

Explain聽the problem to聽the technician聽and聽permit them to聽explore聽it more in-depth.
The聽technician聽will聽determine聽the problem and聽suggest聽the best聽solutions. A repair聽could聽be聽viable, but聽depending on聽the unit’s condition and age, a replacement聽can聽be more cost-effective.
You can聽obtain聽various聽opinions and estimates from聽available聽contractors if you聽prefer.
When you聽work with聽天美传媒 Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing, a residential sales consultant will聽determine聽what HVAC system, brand, fuel type and efficiency rating is聽best聽for you.
The聽contractor聽will then聽provide聽a written estimate聽detailing聽the work聽necessary, the equipment they’ll install and the聽final cost. You聽may聽also聽get聽info聽about warranty coverage, service plans and financing options.
Schedule the installation聽after聽you聽pick聽what system you want.聽The technician聽will聽handle聽everything,聽like聽hauling away the old equipment for聽safe聽disposal.
The sales consultant聽can聽walk through聽the new system with you,聽explaining聽how to use it,聽addressing聽any questions and聽providing聽all the聽needed聽documentation.

Call 天美传媒 Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing

If you have聽concerns聽about these HVAC system聽basics, ] to聽reach out to聽天美传媒 Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. We聽prioritize聽customer education to help you make聽an informed聽decision about your聽HVAC聽system. Our team is聽well-versed聽in a聽full range聽of HVAC services, so聽give us a call聽for聽everything聽from furnace maintenance to AC repair to heat pump installation. For more聽info聽or to聽ask for聽an estimate, please聽get in touch with聽your local 天美传媒 Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing office听迟辞诲补测.