DIY HVAC Spring Cleaning Checklist

Beginning your spring cleaning but don’t know where to start? Start with your comfort system! While you can find tons of articles for general tips on tidying up your home, there aren’t many that tell you how you can clean your comfort system. Follow this DIY HVAC spring cleaning checklist to keep your system cleaner, more effective, and more efficient this spring and summer.

Inside HVAC Spring Cleaning Checklist

Change Your Filter

Changing your filter is one of the most important steps in your HVAC spring cleaning checklist. In fact, it’s an important thing to do all year round. Because your filter is the main barrier between dirty air and clean air, it often gets filled with particles such as dust, mold spores, and other harmful allergens. The longer you go without changing your filter, the less effective it becomes at doing its job. If you want your home to have clean, fresh air with optimal airflow, change your filter regularly.

Clean Air Vents

Your air vents are the final barrier between your comfort system and your home, and if you haven’t cleaned them lately, it’s likely they’re filled with debris. Pet hair, dust, and dirt are just a few of the things that could be hanging on to your air vents by a thread, ready to let go and circulate throughout your home. Dust or vacuum your air vents, and for a deep clean, take off the cover and wash it in warm, soapy water. You’ll experience better airflow and air quality when this is checked off!

Also make sure vents are not blocked by furniture, curtains, toys, or other obstructions to ensure proper ventilation and maximum efficiency.

Clean the House

You’d be surprised at the amount of mold, dust, and other allergens lingering around your home. Dusting the ceiling fan, cleaning windows, wiping down walls, and vacuuming carpets all contribute to a more efficient and effective HVAC system. While the filter of your comfort system can catch particles floating through the air, it can’t do much with contaminants on surfaces. Cleaning the house will leave you breathing easier, and your comfort system won’t have to work as hard.

Install An Air Purification System

Unlike your filter, which catches contaminants that enter your system, an air purification system can eliminate 99.9% of contaminants from every square inch of your home that your conditioned air reaches. Even better, they can also help to eliminate contaminants on surfaces leaving you with less to clean year round. With an air purification system, your comfort system doesn’t have to work as hard, saving you money every month and leaving your family breathing easier.

Learn about the air purification systems offered by Shannon’s Heating & Cooling here.

Invest In A Smart Thermostat

If you don’t currently have a smart or programmable thermostat, you could be missing out on great savings, especially during peak seasons of extreme temperatures like the hot and humid summers we experience in Pensacola. These thermostats allow you to set temperatures on a schedule so you can save money while you’re sleeping or even when you’re not at home. 

Learn more about the programmable thermostats offered by Shannon’s Heating & Cooling here.

Outside HVAC Spring Cleaning Checklist

Clear Around the Outdoor Unit

Your outdoor unit needs at least 3 feet of cleared space and clean airflow to operate properly. Clear any debris around the outdoor unit including sticks, leaves, or weeds on or next to the unit. If tree limbs hang over the unit causing it to need regular clearing, you could consider trimming the limbs back or removing the tree. When the unit is clean, the system operates more efficiently, needs less repairs, and lasts longer.

Schedule Preventative Maintenance

There’s only so much you can do from outside your comfort system. The professionals at Shannon’s Heating & Cooling are trained to evaluate every aspect of your system to ensure it’s working properly all year long. Our system tune-ups include:

• • • Refrigerant charge check
    • Coil inspection and cleaning
    • Check of all electrical components
    • Filter inspection & change
    • Cleaning of condensate drain lines
    • Safety controls test
    • Ductwork inspection
    • Watts/ amps checks on all motors
    • Primary & secondary drain inspections
    • Inspection, cleaning, and adjustment of blower components
    • Inspection and tightening of all loose electrical connections
    • Air conditioner operating monitor
    • Checking pressures for proper refrigerant charge
    • Monitoring voltage and average draw on all motors and heaters
    • Monitoring air conditioning and heating cycles
    • Inspection, cleaning, and adjusting heat exchanger and burners
    • Adjusting gas pressure as necessary
    • Inspection and adjustment of pilot operation
    • Monitoring flue draft for safe operation
    • Adjusting air flow for proper temperature rise and fall
    • Inspection of thermostat operations

Preventative maintenance allows your system to run efficiently and last longer while also saving you from costly repairs when you need your air conditioner the most. Learn more about the maintenance plan offered by Shannon’s Heating and Cooling here.

More About Us

To sign up for a maintenance plan with Shannon’s Heating & Cooling, visit our website at https://shannonshvac.com/services/maintenance-plans/ or call us at 850-698-3101. We care about the comfort of your whole home and want to help keep you cool this spring and summer.

Feel free to email us at [email protected] with any questions or inquiries. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram!