There’s nothing better than escaping a summer heat wave in your nice, cool, air-conditioned room. Well done, HVACs! There’s nothing worse than an entire building sweating it up when the HVAC breaks. Yeah sure, there are worse things, but for the sake of comfort and safety, let’s address the health of HVACs to keep everyone as cool and collected as possible this summer.
Both residential and commercial real estate HVAC systems have components located outdoors and can benefit from seasonal checkups. Spring and fall are great times to schedule maintenance visits to keep units running smoothly. It’s easy to forget about those big bulky structures often located on hotel roofs or behind community buildings. But they’re important year-round, keeping us at a comfortable 68°F.
Also, with summer well on the heels of spring, HVACs can become subject to weather like hailstorms. According to Property Casualty 360, 84% of large-loss claims were from hail damage.
DIY tips for HVACs:
- Assess the system after storms. (Read: five-minute outdoor break!)
- The unit should be hosed down when dirty.
- Remove nearby plant matter or rooftop debris from around the system.
- Air filters should be changed based on the HVAC’s recommended schedule.
- Coils should be continually monitored for damage.
Why and when to bring in “the big guns”:
- Notice damage or poor operation? Call a tech!
- Schedule two annual maintenances (springtime and fall) for the changing heating and cooling seasons.
- A nice tune-up to keep the HVAC running in tiptop shape equals lower energy bills. The bigger the unit, the better the savings.
- Finding a problem and repairing it before it breaks will cause less headaches (doesn’t it feel good to be proactive?). It may even ward off a larger problem. And larger bill.
- Bi-yearly inspections lower the risk of big breakdowns and increase the safe operation of this big muscle in the building!
