Throughout most of the year, your HVAC system keeps your home not only comfortable but healthy and safe. You may not even notice it until you have to adjust it or receive an especially high or low HVAC bill, but it is a constant part of your life. So it’s important to understand how it works. The most efficient HVAC systems are those owned by homeowners who know what they should do for their home, and what they shouldn’t, so they can catch problem areas quickly.
Different Components
HVAC stands for “Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning,” so your HVAC system includes your heating unit, a/c unit, and your home’s ventilation. The heating unit keeps the home warm in the winter. It can be anything from a forced air furnace to a geothermal system, pulling heat from the earth to warm your home.
Ventilation systems keep bad smells out of the home and protect the indoor air quality. It circulates fresh air through the home to filter out air pollutants like pollen, dust, dirt, and mold spores. It can vary from home to home and system to system. You might simply open a window to ventilate your home or turn on a fan. You might own an air purifier or filter.
Your air conditioning unit circulates cool air into your home during the summer. Central air filters cool air throughout the home through the use of air ducts. Through the refrigerant cycle of the central air unit, hot air is melted into liquid and cooled over the fan coils. It is then moved through the expansion valve, converted back into gas and filtered through the home as cool air.
Functionality
Home comfort is key. If you can’t be comfortable in your own home, where can you be comfortable, after all? But it’s more than just keeping your home comfortable and getting rid of stale smells. A good HVAC system will keep your energy bills low in the coldest or hottest times of year. Energy efficient HVAC systems can help you reduce your carbon footprint, thereby helping you help the environment. And the indoor air quality of your home is more important than you realize. Your ventilation system is your first defense against seasonal allergies in spring and fall.
If your HVAC system is faulty, you could be paying hundreds more in energy costs than you should and still not feel quite comfortable in your home. Your indoor air quality could be poor, causing health issues like nausea, headaches, fatigue, and asthma attacks. Your HVAC system will have a significant impact on your home one way or the other. Keep it healthy, and it will be a positive effect.
Maintenance
Preventative maintenance and HVAC inspection are musts when you’re buying a new home. It’s good to get to know the HVAC unit before you sign a contract and the home inspection doesn’t offer a full HVAC inspection. Yearly preventative maintenance is also recommended to ensure that your system continues working long after you’ve moved into the home. It’s especially important to keep the ventilation system clean so the air in your home stays clean. Check your air filters every now and then to see if they need to be replaced.
Naturally, it helps to have an experienced HVAC contractor on your side and Air Solutions in Bryan-College Station has 50 years of combined experience in HVAC solutions. We’re happy to perform maintenance or repairs on your HVAC system, as well as introduce you to the latest advances in energy efficient, high tech HVAC systems. Contact us today for more information or a quote.
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