Keeping a home comfortable and cool, especially during the hotter months, is a necessity for many American families. Unfortunately, HVAC systems and units aren’t perfect—and issues can arise in the blink of an eye. At Shipshape, we know how frustrating it can be when your home’s systems don’t work properly; that’s part of how we can help you and your home. 

There are a few categories one can perform to maintain an efficient home heating and air system These include:

Prevention

To ensure your HVAC unit is in “ship-shape” condition, there are a couple of routine things you can do to promote system longevity and proper operation. 

1. Change the Air Filters. Since HVAC units run constantly, changing the air filters every three months will help with the collection of dust, hair, and other debris that can accumulate in the filters. 
2. Right Temperature, Right Time. These tasks can help save money on your monthly bill while helping to ensure HVAC durability. Rather than setting the thermostat at drastic temperatures to make your home cool down or heat up quicker, it’s best to set it at normal temperatures (around 69-72 degrees Fahrenheit) so the unit doesn’t work as hard.
3. Clean Up. Sometimes airflow can get blocked or slow down if there is lots of gunk—like debris—surrounding the outside unit. Take about 20 minutes once a year to clean the outside unit with a hose. 

Inspection

This category may be a tad more technical, but it’s still easy enough. By checking certain parts of your home, you can easily determine the efficiency of your HVAC unit and its performance. 

1. Air Ducts. If your air ducts are blocked or dirty, clean air won’t be able to flow out to the rest of your home. You can either clean your ducts yourself or you can hire a professional. 
2. Thermostat. Technology isn’t perfect—that’s why you need to be sure to check if your thermostat is working properly. With older systems, guessing the temperature is a common practice but not accurate; however, installing a programmable thermostat will be much more specific. 
3. Calendar. Time can easily escape you, especially if you don’t put reminders on your calendar. Schedule service visits and upgrade your products every few years to be sure that your home software is up to date. 

Testing

There are many simple tests you can perform to check the success of your home’s heating and air system. For older homes, measure the temperature with a meat thermometer and determine if your unit is working efficiently. You can hold up the meat thermometer to the air duct’s airstream for about five minutes. Additionally, you can do the same to a return vent and compare both temperatures. 

Note that the air coming out should be about 15 to 20 degrees cooler than the air going in (unless the heat is on), and then the opposite should occur. 

Professional Help 

Issues with your home heating and air system are anything but ideal, especially during intense summer heat waves like we’ve seen. Contact Shipshape to take your home’s HVAC monitoring and maintenance to the next level. With one simple call, we can help fast-track your home heating and air system’s efficiency and use.

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