Every season brings new opportunities and new challenges, and that’s as true for your HVAC system as anything else. A commercial HVAC system is complex, with many moving parts, and getting the best performance means keeping up with regular maintenance.
Wondering if it’s time to schedule fall HVAC maintenance?
Look for these four tell-tale signs you should make that call:
1) Inconsistent or Inaccurate Thermostat Response
Your thermostat serves as the HVAC system’s brain: It is there to tell it what to do and when. It should respond immediately and accurately to all your commands, including pre-programmed temperature settings. If your interior temperature is higher or lower than settings should allow, maintenance is necessary to ensure the system is managing and reporting temperatures correctly.
2) Significantly Longer Cooling or Heating Cycles
As a HVAC system ages, its mechanical parts suffer from wear and tear. Problems in one part of the system make the whole thing less efficient. One major sign of this is that the HVAC must run continuously for longer periods of time to achieve the same results. If it seems like the system never shuts off, maintenance is crucial – a complete system shutdown may be only days away.
3) Poor Airflow or Odd Smells
Depending on your HVAC components and layout, you may need to change air filters on a regular basis. If this doesn’t result in a noticeable, immediate improvement in air quality, then a deeper problem is at hand. Ducts may be clogged, requiring a thorough cleaning. As airflow deteriorates, indoor air can actually become many times more polluted than outdoor air!
4) Substantial Increase in Energy Bill
No matter what kind of issues your HVAC system is facing, one thing is consistent: Rising energy costs. Of course, costs will tend to grow somewhat over time – but a marked increase over the course of a single month or quarter is worth investigating. This usually means that some component is not working as it should, creating more work for the rest of the system.
Fall is the perfect time to schedule HVAC maintenance
Your HVAC system is the major energy consumer on any large property. By making time for seasonal maintenance, you’ll help ensure it can operate at peak efficiency. This saves you money and can help you implement other green initiatives.