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The Importance of Fall HVAC Maintenance

The Importance of Fall HVAC Maintenance

Each year, in the spring and fall–before peak cooling and heating season–there’s an important HVAC maintenance checklist you should have a technician go through each year in order to keep your AC running.

If you’re in Carrollton, Texas or the surrounding area and you want reliable, affordable, and regular maintenance for your AC, call Lex Air Conditioning and Heating today! We can set you up with inspections and AC repairs, as well as preventative maintenance. To get in touch, give our office a call at 972-217-8955 or send us a message here

How Long Does an HVAC System Last in Texas?

Your HVAC system will last anywhere from 10 to 25 years, depending on the climate you live in. In Texas, a unit that’s been well-maintained by an HVAC professional can last about 15 years. However, without annual HVAC maintenance, your HVAC system might start declining long before that. 

In the Texas heat, we expect a lot from our AC. This means if you’ve got problems such as clogged-up air filters or unsealed air leaks, your air conditioner is going to be working double time to keep your house comfortable. This will not only result in higher energy bills, but will cut down on the lifespan of your HVAC equipment altogether.

How Often Should I Receive Maintenance on my HVAC Unit?

Wondering how often your HVAC unit should be serviced? Most HVAC techs recommend that you service your cooling system once a year (and the same with your heating system). Generally, this should occur for your cold air system in the spring, and for your heating systems in the fall

In addition to these two essential annual HVAC maintenance visits, you should schedule regular AC and heating tune-ups and cleaning to maximize the lifespan of your HVAC system. You should also be checking your air filter regularly and changing it once it becomes too saturated with dirt and dust. Also, if you are having issues with your HVAC unit – such as hearing unusual noises or smelling strange odors – or you can’t get your house to the temperature you want, you may seriously benefit from some routine HVAC maintenance.

What Happens During an HVAC Tune-Up?

A heating or air conditioning tune-up, for the most part, will consist of a visual inspection, the cleaning and oiling of moving parts, refreshment of fluid levels, checking on electrical components, and checks for wear and tear. 

This will help keep your HVAC unit alive and keep you comfortable for many years to come. It will also help you save money in the long run on expensive repairs.

Fall HVAC Maintenance Checklist

During your fall HVAC maintenance visit, your technician will probably be focusing more on your heating system than your cooling–but there is annual preventative maintenance they will perform at both your fall and spring HVAC maintenance appointments. Even though this fall appointment is meant to prepare you for winter, the tech will still check and make sure nothing is going horribly wrong with your other AC components. 

Visually Inspect Your Equipment

No matter what time of year it is, the service call will always start with a thorough inspection. Here, your Carrollton heating technician will look for any signs of obvious wear and tear. This is where they’ll adjust loose bolts, make sure your thermostat is functioning properly, and check your outdoor unit for any debris or anything else that might be clogging it.

Clear Condensation 

There is a drain line that carries condensation away from your house and into a drain pan. Your tech will flush and clean this line to ensure it doesn’t overflow and cause leaks in your house. Though this is more important in the spring, since you won’t be using your AC system much in the fall and winter, it’s best practice to check. 

Check Electrical Components

Your tech will also check and ensure all the electrical components in your heating unit are working properly. The failure of one wire or electrode can take down your whole heating system. Here, we’ll make sure all your connections and wirings are in good shape.

Check Furnace

Your furnace also has a variety of safety devices to keep you safe, including what’s called a limit switch, which ensures that the furnace is heating air at the proper rate. When the limit switch senses your system is getting too hot, it shuts off the burner. It will also turn off the blower when the temperature drops far enough.

If your blower is running continuously during heating season, you might need to replace some parts.

Change Filters

Keeping your air filter clean is an important part of fall HVAC maintenance. You should check your filter roughly once a month, and change it when it gets too dirty. During your fall heating maintenance visit, you can provide us a new filter to put in, or we can bring one along.

Your AC system might also have a water panel, which is a filter that helps regulate humidity during dry seasons like winter. It’s important to keep this panel changed, especially in the winter, to regulate humidity levels and also avoid having standing water trapped in your system.

Check Freon Level

As part of your HVAC maintenance checklist, your heating and air conditioning technician will measure the levels of refrigerant and other fluids in your unit and replenish them if necessary. 

Check Thermostat

Part of fall heating maintenance is making sure your programmable thermostat is functional. If it isn’t, your house won’t be able to reach your desired temperature. 

Align and Clean Blower Components

If your blower fan isn’t working properly, your heating system won’t be able to distribute heat throughout your home. Your fan must be cleaned, lubricated, and you’ll need to replace any faulty parts your tech finds. 

Clean the Evaporator and Coils

Your coils can accumulate quite a good bit of dust and other debris throughout the year. This can cause your system to lose efficiency and your utility bills to skyrocket. 

Additional Checks for Gas-Powered Furnace

If your heat system is gas-powered, a qualified technician will need to check on equipment like the pilot light, the thermocouple, and the gas line. Though it’s possible to do things like relight the pilot light yourself, if your light goes out often, you might have an issue with your HVAC vents. 

If you think there might be a problem with any of the equipment in your furnace, make sure you call a qualified Carrollton furnace repair technician like those at Lex Air. Dealing with combustible products can be a very dangerous job for homeowners.

One of the more important HVAC maintenance tips: it’s important to have a carbon monoxide detector in your home. This can help detect if there are dangerous leaks in your home.

Inspect Ductwork

If you have ductwork in your home, it needs to be inspected regularly. Faulty ductwork can lead to things like odd noises when your AC is on, as well as a much higher utility bill if you have leaks and blockages. 

It’s also important to keep your air vents clean and clear of debris so your ductwork can maintain good airflow throughout your home. If you need ductwork maintenance or air duct cleaning services in Carrollton or the surrounding area, give us a call!

Why Is It Important to Receive HVAC Maintenance Every Fall?

Your cooling and heating system is made up of a variety of complex moving parts, fluids, vents, and wiring. Even your thermostat is its own complicated electrical system. In winter, even in Texas, we ask our heater to keep us comfortable and warm against bitter temperatures. This places a lot of strain on your system. To ensure it holds up, you need to ensure that all these complicated moving parts are clean and operating the way that they should be. 

Consider it this way: we all stretch before vigorous exercise, don’t we? Receiving fall HVAC service is like letting your equipment stretch its muscles before a high-intensity workout. If you don’t service your unit and simply crank up the temperature when it gets cold, it’s possible your system could give out on you when you need it most. 

Join the Cool Club!

Here at Lex Air, we can provide you all the services you need to keep your AC up and running in both the coldest and hottest months. If you want to be sure your AC gets the service it needs without having to remember to schedule biannual visits, join our Cool Club maintenance plan! Our members receive alerts when it’s time for annual maintenance visits along with several other benefits. 

With membership fees starting from $159 per year, members of our Cool Club also receive things like:

  • Priority, front-of-the-line services
  • 15% discount on repair parts and labor
  • No overtime charges 
  • New equipment discount  

Get more information on our HVAC maintenance plan and all its benefits here on our website.

Call Lex Air Conditioning & Heating for Top Carrollton Preventative Maintenance Services

If you want experienced, qualified technicians to run through your fall HVAC maintenance checklist each year, call Lex Air Conditioning and Heating at 972-217-8955, or send us a message here. Our team of expert service techs are proud to serve Carrollton and all the surrounding communities, including but certainly not limited to:

Rest assured, we can help you with everything from HVAC maintenance tips to inspections to repairs and replacements, and keep your AC systems firing on all cylinders for years to come.

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