| DO IT YOURSELF TIPS |
| MANAGING EQUIPMENT |
| There is not a whole lot a homeowner can do to maintain their heating and cooling equipment, but what they can do makes all the difference! The first and perhaps the most important is changing or cleaning the filter regularly. For most houses I recommend a minimum of once a season. If you have pets and children, filters need changed more often. Use a good filter. 1" Pleated filters are the minimum quality I would use. You can get an economy 3 pack at Lowe's or Home Depot for about $7-8. If you can see through a filter, don't buy it. You can buy better 1" filters but the better they are the more expensive. Filtrete makes some very good filters but they run about $15-20 apiece and since they are so efficient they could cause airflow restrictions and they need to be changed more often, making them even more expensive. If you're going to this expense I would recommend getting a media filter installed. They are about $300-400 installed and the inserts cost between $25 to 40 to replace. They are more expensive at first but since they are so thick (4" or more) they don't have to be changed as often. Finally the best and most expensive filter you can buy is an electronic air cleaner. They run about $700 -900 installed. They use electrically charged plates and wires to attract dust and particles to them. You don't have to change the filter but they do require periodic cleaning with household cleaners and water. I clean mine in my bathtub in the winter and in the summer I use my driveway. If you have central air another item that can save money both long term and short term is to clean the outdoor condensing unit. These units suck air through the coils to cool the freon off after it has been compressed. Of course the air is dirty especially in the spring when the cottonwoods bloom. It may even be dirty because the outdoor unit is too close to a dryer vent and lint is sucked up into the coils. Lawn mowers throw clippings into the coils and of course vines and weeds can grow over the coil surface as well. Don't prop any large object against the unit in the summer so as to block airflow and if the unit is to be enclosed inside a fence make sure that there is at least 18" clear on all sides and keep that space free and clear. If your unit becomes dirty take your garden hose and a nozzle and clean the coil surface in the following manner. (If it makes you nervous spraying water on an electrical device turn off the unit at the disconnect on the wall next to it or if it doesn't have one turn off the power at circuit breaker panel. Remember this, rains falls on the unit all the time with the power on and running and it doesn't hurt anything.) Starting a the top of the coil squirt down the face of the coil at a steep angle so as not to push the dirt in between the fins of the coil. You are just trying to push the dirt down the surface to the bottom. After the surface is clear of visible dirt then you can squirt directly into the coil starting again from the top to the bottom. If you want you can use some mild household detergent but be sure to rinse thoroughly. Now what if have a unit where the coil surface is not visible or hidden behind a sheet metal grille?? I am going to leave that one to you. You might tackle removing the sheet metal panels and then cleaning it but you might want to call in the professionals at this point. |
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| Before you begin any repairs or installation on your heating and or air conditioning systems, consult all manufactures safety warnings and procedures. If you are not comfortable or have no experience working with Electricity, or with Natural Gas, L.P. Gas we would highly recommend calling your local independent contractor for service. |