Keeping your heating and air conditioning units running efficiently is one of the best ways to ensure you and your family stay comfortable all year long no matter what the season.

However, many people fail to perform the necessary maintenance steps for their systems and find it affects the way they heat or cool their home or experience a failure of the system that leads to an expensive and inconvenient replacement.

Fortunately, when you know how to maintain your system, you can plan for it to ensure you don’t have a large bill looming in your future.

Here are some essential tips for maintaining your comfort systems both on your own and with the help of HVAC service.

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What You Can Do on Your Own

There are some maintenance tasks you can perform on your own to keep your system running at its best. They include:

Change your air filter every one to three months depending on the air quality in your home. A dirty or clogged filter can restrict airflow and potentially cause damage to your system.
Clear debris such as twigs and leaves from around any outdoor units.
Check the drain pan and line for clogs or other blockages and clear away.
Consider getting a programmable thermostat to ensure your home stays comfortable and to help reduce the load on your system while no one is in the house.

What You Need an HVAC Expert to Do

If you’re not experienced working with an HVAC system, you should not attempt to do much more than the above to maintain your system. These are the tasks you should put in the hands of a professional HVAC service near me:

Annual inspections. You should have an annual inspection of your AC system and your furnace at least once a year. Ideally, the inspection for your AC system will occur in late spring and your furnace inspection will occur in early fall. During the inspection, the HVAC professional will also perform a tune-up and make sure your system is running efficiently.
Lubricate moving parts to reduce friction and resulting energy use.
Tighten electrical connections to prevent damage to components and potential safety hazards.
Advise you if your system is reaching the end of its life or if there are more efficient options available that could save you money on your heating or cooling bills.

The Value of a Regular Maintenance Plan

One of the best ways to ensure your HVAC system continues to run smoothly all year long is to get on a regular maintenance plan with a company providing HVAC service.

Your service professional will conduct regular inspections, tune-ups, and other tasks and you won’t ever have to worry about your system being neglected.

Working with HVAC Service Near Me

Developing a good relationship with a company providing HVAC service near me is the best way to ensure your system runs smoothly and that any problems are taken care of promptly. Once you find a good company to work with, make sure to ask them about their regular maintenance plans and what they include.