Easily Avoid These Major HVAC Mistakes!

Many people prefer to do things themselves, which is not a bad thing at all. It’s great if you have the skills to fix things on your own, but is it worth the risk of costing you more money than you’re saving? When it comes to your HVAC system, it’s best to leave it to the professionals. If you were to make a mistake on your system, it could cost more to fix that mistake than fixing the original repair!

So here are a few HVAC mistakes that are 100% preventable if you don’t try to DIY it!

Avoiding annual maintenance or routine checks for your HVAC system.

You may think that if you change your air filter when it gets dirty and you don’t run the air conditioning 24/7, then you don’t really need those routine check-ups. Well think again!

If you avoid maintenance checks, you could miss the warning signs of a bigger problem with your HVAC system. When that problem gets worse, it’s more expensive to fix. So if you think you’re saving money by skipping those seasonal check ups, you’re wrong! It’s worth the extra money to ensure that your machine is in tip-top condition.

When one part of your system malfunctions, it can ruin the entire system when it’s left unfixed.

Turning your air conditioner or furnace off while you’re away.

If you plan to be away for a vacation or long weekend, it may be tempting to save money by turning off your HVAC system completely. Don’t do this! Whether it’s in the summer or in the winter. When you turn it off completely in the summer, your building essentially becomes an oven and can damage other parts of your building, like doors and flooring. In the winter, your pipes could freeze if you turned off the furnace.

Instead, you should turn your A/C up higher in the summer (around 85 degrees Fahrenheit) or the heat lower in the winter. Then, if you have a way of programming your thermostat, you can adjust the temperature the day before you return so that it’s comfortable for you when you get back.

Not monitoring your HVAC unit’s refrigerant

You should monitor your HVAC’s refrigerant regardless, but especially if you skip the annual maintenance (which you still, really shouldn’t skip for this reason!). If you forget to check the refrigerant, you could have a leak without knowing it. Once that leak builds up, it can rapidly deteriorate your HVAC system. It’s also extremely dangerous to inhale and hold. So dangerous that there are laws that outline how to handle the refrigerant. Always ask your technician to be sure they check for low Freon levels when your system is serviced.

Are you guilty of one of the mistakes above? What did you learn from from your experience?
Share in the comments below!