Are you looking for some simple ways to improve efficiency and comfort?
Make sure you start by improving the airflow of your heating and cooling equipment. Obstructed airflow can signal the death of efficiency and system performance. It makes your equipment work harder to heat or cool your home, putting a strain on critical components, reducing lifespan, raising bills and hindering home comfort.
Improving airflow is not a hard thing to do. The trickiest part is remembering to do all of the things on this list. Here are our suggestions for improving airflow.
Keep registers and vents open at all times. Do you think it’s important to close registers and vents in rooms that don’t necessarily need heating and cooling power? Don’t! Your equipment is designed to heat or cool a certain amount of space. Closing vents and registers alters this load.
Have a contractor come and clean your equipment. You may be able to get away with using a hose to get some debris off of your outdoor equipment. However, you should always have a contractor come out to clean your indoor equipment. A not for outdoor equipment: NEVER use a power washer! This can damage components of your unit, your coil in particular.
Regularly change your furnace filter. Not changing your furnace filter often enough can kill airflow, especially if you have pets. A dirty filter decreases indoor air quality and may affect the health of your family. Make sure you are changing your furnace filter once a season, at the VERY minimum. Under certain conditions, it may be prudent to change your furnace filter once a month.
Have a contractor come out and inspect your ductwork. Once a year, you should have a contractor come out and inspect your ductwork to look for any collapses or blockages. This can not only improve airflow, but indoor air quality as well. Plus, it is a good place to look for any problems that you may not be able to see, like rodents or mold.
Always plant two feet away from your outdoor equipment. This is something you’ll want to keep in mind during the spring planting season! It’s important that you give you outdoor air conditioner or heat pump proper clearance. Plants can invade your unit, affect performance and damage equipment.
Of course, the bets way to improve efficiency and performance is upgrading to a new high-efficiency unit. Make sure you get in touch with a local heating and cooling contractor if you want a new system or are looking to improve airflow.
What do you do to improve airflow?
