Tips for those who just want to know what their
system needs for the best possible performance.
Just like your car, your home comfort system needs
routine maintenance to keep it running at its best. Without regular servicing, heating and cooling systems waste energy and
are more likely to break down. But with the proper attention, they can keep you comfortable year-round.
Below are some basic tips to keep your system running efficiently. However, these
tips are not designed to replace annual servicing by a qualified technician.
Heating Equipment
Heat pumps and oil-fired furnaces and boilers need a yearly professional
tune-up. Gas-fired equipment burns cleaner; it should be serviced every other year.
Step 1
A close inspection will uncover leaks, soot, rust, rot, corroded electrical contacts
and frayed wires. In furnace (forced-air) and boiler (hot-water) systems, the inspection should also cover the chimney, ductwork
or pipes, dampers or valves, blower or pump, registers or radiators, the fuel line and the gas meter or oil tank, as well
as every part of the furnace or boiler itself.
Step
2
Next, the system should be run through a full heating cycle to ensure that it has plenty of combustion
air and chimney draft. Contractors use smoke pencils to check for sufficient draft and also test the air for carbon monoxide.
Step 3
Finally,
it's time for the down and dirty task of cleaning the burner and heat exchanger to remove soot and other gunk that can
impede smooth operation. For the burner, efficiency hinges on adjusting the flame to the right size and color, adjusting the
flow of gas or changing the fuel filter in an oil-fired system.
A check of the heat pump should include an inspection
of the compressor, fan, indoor and outdoor coils and refrigerant lines. Indoor and outdoor coils should be cleaned, and the
refrigerant pressure should be checked. Low pressure indicates a leak; to locate it, contractors feed tinted refrigerant into
the loop and go over it with an electronic detector.
Blowers
Tuning up the distribution side of a forced-air system starts with the blower. The axle should be lubricated;
blades cleaned and lower motor checked to insure the unit isn't being overloaded. The fan belt should be adjusted so it
deflects no more than an inch when pressed. Every accessible joint in the ductwork should be sealed with mastic or UL-approved
duct tapes.
Any ducts that run outside the heated space should be insulated. On a hot-water system, the expansion
tank should be drained, the circulating pump cleaned and lubricated and air bled out of the radiators.
Thermostats
While thermostats rarely fail outright, they can degrade over time as mechanical parts stick or lose their
calibration. Older units will send faulty signals if they've been knocked out of level or have dirty switches.
To recalibrate an older unit, use a wrench to adjust the nut on the back of the mercury switch until it turns the system
on and, using a room thermometer, set it to the correct temperature. Modern electronic thermostats, sealed at the factory
to keep out dust and grime, rarely need adjusting.
However, whether your thermostat is old or young, the hole
where the thermostat wire comes through the wall needs to be caulked, or a draft could trick it into thinking the room is
warmer or colder than it really is.
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Humidifiers
A neglected in-duct
humidifier can breed mildew and bacteria, not to mention add too much moisture to a house.
A common mistake with humidifiers
is leaving them on after the heating season ends. Don't forget to pull the plug, shut the water valve and drain the unit.
A unit with a water reservoir should be drained and cleaned with white vinegar, a mix of one part chlorine bleach to eight
parts water or muriatic acid. Mist-type humidifiers also require regular cleaning to remove mineral deposits.
Filters
Most houses with forced-air furnaces have a
standard furnace filter made from loosely woven spun-glass fibers designed to keep it and its ductwork clean. Unfortunately,
they don't improve indoor air quality. That takes a media filter, which sits in between the main return duct and the blower
cabinet.
Made of a deeply pleated, paper-like material, media filters are at least seven times better than a standard
filter at removing dust and other particles. An upgrade to a pleated media filter will cleanse the air of everything from
insecticide dust to flu viruses.
Compressed,
media filters are usually no wider than six inches, but the pleated material can cover up to 75 square feet when stretched
out. This increased area of filtration accounts for the filter's long life, which can exceed two years.
The only drawback to a media filter is its tight weave, which can restrict a furnace's ability to blow air through the
house. To insure a steady, strong airflow through the house, choose a filter that matches your blower's capacity.
Duct Cleaning
A maze
of heating and air conditioning ducts runs inside the walls and floors of 80 percent of American homes. As the supply ducts
blow air into the rooms, return ducts inhale airborne dust and suck it back into the blower. Add moisture to this mixture
and you've got a breeding ground for allergy-inducing molds, mites and bacteria. Many filters commonly used today can't
keep dust and debris from streaming into the air and over time sizable accumulations can form — think dust bunnies,
but bigger.
To find out if your ducts need
cleaning, pull off some supply and return registers and take a look. If a new furnace is being installed, you should probably
invest in a duct cleaning at the same time, because chances are the new blower will be more powerful than the old one and
will stir up a lot of dust.
Professional duct
cleaners tout such benefits as cleaner indoor air, longer equipment life and lower energy costs. Clean HVAC systems can also
perform more efficiently, which may decrease energy costs, and last longer, reducing the need for costly replacement or repairs.
Cleaning has little effect on air quality, primarily because most indoor dust drifts in from the outdoors. But it does get
rid of the stuff that mold and bacteria grow on, and that means less of it gets airborne, a boon to allergy sufferers.
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