Serving Carrollton, TX & Surrounding Areas 
The rising temperatures of spring and summer in Carrollton, TX are just around the corner. Your heating system has served you admirably over the winter months, and it will soon be time for your air conditioner to start carrying the load when it comes to keeping you comfortable. Since you’ll need cool air to be circulating regularly over the next several months, your HVAC unit will need to remain healthy and efficient. Fortunately, there are things you can do to ensure that your HVAC system is up to the task of working hard throughout the spring and summer. Now, before the weather gets too harsh, is the perfect time to start taking these preparatory measures.
1. Schedule Professional HVAC Maintenance
Did you know that yearly scheduled maintenance can increase your HVAC unit’s lifespan by up to five years? In addition to that excellent benefit, a professional tune-up will also ensure that the system is running smoothly and efficiently during the hot spring and scorching summer. Since you’ll be running the AC frequently, you don’t want your HVAC unit to be clogged or packed with dust and dirt. Your HVAC technician will clean all of those contaminants out of the system, allowing it to circulate air more easily and without wasting electricity.
The other key component of any HVAC tune-up is the equipment inspection. If any malfunctioning or worn-out parts are hampering the performance of the appliance, your experienced professional will identify them. They’ll also be looking for any indicators that there will be problems in the near future. Then, they’ll consult with you and advise you on the best way to proceed. If you want them to, the technician will be able to nip the issues in the bud before they get worse.
2. Replace the HVAC Air Filter
You’ll definitely want to have a clean HVAC air filter during spring and summer for several reasons. For one thing, springtime means excess pollen floating around the air. When that pollen inevitably drifts into your home, you’ll want a clean air filter that’s capable of trapping it. Otherwise, you’ll be breathing it all in, which can result in discomfort. Having a clean air filter will also make things much easier on your HVAC unit.
During winter, the regular furnace usage most likely meant a lot of work for your HVAC filter. So, if you haven’t replaced it over the last couple of months, it’s a pretty safe bet that it’s quite dirty. During spring and summer, a dirty or clogged filter will worsen the performance, efficiency, and health of your HVAC system. It will struggle to circulate air through the obstructed filter, putting extra stress on the equipment and increasing the risk of mechanical failure.
After you switch the filter out for a new one, be sure to check on it regularly until summer ends. If you have a pleated filter, you’ll need to replace it every 90 days on average. With a fiberglass filter, on the other hand, you shouldn’t wait longer than 30 days.
3. Invest in a Duct Cleaning and Inspection
If your home’s air ducts and vents are clean and healthy, then your HVAC unit will have clear pathways to circulate air throughout the spring and summer. However, you’ll need to be proactive to make sure that’s a reality. Over time, contaminants like dust, dander, pollen, and even mold will accumulate inside your ductwork. If enough of those contaminants build up, the health and performance of your HVAC system will suffer. It will be difficult for your AC unit to push cool air past all that dust and debris, which will make it harder for you to stay cool during the hot weather. Besides that, the pollen and other airborne irritants will get picked up by the airflow, worsening the quality of your indoor air.
In addition to clearing out all those contaminants, having your ducts cleaned will also help you weed out any leaks or damage that may be present. That’s important, as leaking ducts will be extremely detrimental to your household during the spring and summer months. When your AC unit is attempting to cool your living space down, losing conditioned air through leaks will force it to work much harder. The odds of a frustrating system breakdown will rise significantly, and you’ll be spending more on energy bills. Additionally, you may experience uneven temperatures throughout the home.
4. Keep Your Air Vents Clean
Many homeowners forget all about their air vents, but keeping them clean and unobstructed should be a priority during the Texas spring and summer. Much like your air ducts, your home’s vents will gradually fill up with contaminant particles. If enough of them accumulate, your AC unit will have to keep increasing its internal pressure to provide a sufficient amount of conditioned air. When it pushes itself in that way, it wastes electricity and puts significant wear and tear on its components. However, if it doesn’t increase its air pressure, your house is likely to remain hot, humid, and uncomfortable.
Take an hour or two to visit each of your home’s air vents. First and foremost, verify that there isn’t any furniture or clutter blocking their circulation. Next, take a screwdriver and remove the cover panel. Using a vacuum cleaner’s extension hose, clean all the dust, dirt, pollen, dander, and debris out of the vent. To keep your HVAC unit healthy and effective, revisit these air vents every month or two.
5. Check for Air Leaks
If your household is suffering from a significant amount of air leaks, it will be problematic as the temperature rises drastically over the coming months. These air leaks, regardless of their size, will allow hot air from outside to seep in while cool, conditioned air is escaping. Not only will this be damaging to your home comfort, but your HVAC unit will also be forced to try to compensate for the leakage. That will put extra mileage on the system, worsening its health, efficiency, and life expectancy.
With a bit of effort and patience, you should be able to locate any household leaks on your own. The best place to check is around the edges of your windows and doorways. Remember, these leaks can be very tiny, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t problematic. Don’t rely purely on your eyes; an effective method is to slowly run your hands along the doors and windows. If you feel any moving air streams, you’ll know that you’ve found a leak. If you need to, you can hire a professional to come and seal up your leaks. Alternatively, you can try doing it on your own with some caulk and weather stripping.
When you need any reliable heating, cooling, or indoor air quality services in the Carrollton vicinity, you can always count on our team at Dring Air Conditioning & Heating. We’ve been faithfully serving this area since 1953, proudly handling the comfort needs of our friends and neighbors. Our family-owned and -operated business now goes back several generations. As the oldest HVAC service company in the Dallas area, we’re proud to have maintained our core values. If you want to learn more or schedule an appointment, call us up at Dring Air Conditioning & Heating today.
