Have You Checked Your New Home’s HVAC System?

New homes come with a long to-do list: utilities to connect, services to sign up for, household items to buy. You might not be thinking about cleaning your HVAC system right away, but consider this: Your home’s job is to protect you from the elements — freezing cold and summer heat. Your home can’t do its job if your HVAC system isn’t working properly. That’s why maintaining a clean and functioning HVAC should top that new home to-do list.

Identifying the problem

Think of your HVAC system as the lungs of your home. According to the National Air Duct Cleaners Association, “HVAC systems require regular maintenance to assure healthy air quality in your home and perform efficiently.”

During the home-buying process, an inspector should have checked your HVAC system to ensure that it functions properly. He or she would have looked for rust around the unit, open seams in flues and slope in the chimney connection, combustion gas order, cracked ductwork, asbestos and dirty air filters. Any issues with the HVAC identified during the inspection were likely handled before you moved in. If not, schedule to have them addressed ASAP. And if you didn’t get an inspection before buying the home, be sure to get one immediately upon move-in.

Maintaining the system

A new HVAC system can cost anywhere from $4,000 to $11,000+ to replace, but when maintained properly, they should last 15 to 25 years. So proper maintenance not only ensures better air quality and improves energy efficiency, but it also makes good fiscal sense.

Some smaller components will need to be fixed or replaced from time to time. Air filters should be replaced every three weeks to six months, depending on if you have pets and dander in your home or how often you run your AC or heat. That’s one step you can do yourself. If you hold your air filter up to the light and you can’t see through it, it’s time to change it. Buy a pack of filters when you move in so you have them ready when they need to be changed. You can also sign up online for a regular subscription for filters that come when you need them.

The other regular maintenance you’ll need to do is having your air ducts cleaned of contaminants. “If given the chance, they’ll build up in the ductwork and slowly stifle the lungs of the home,” the NADCA says. Clean air ducts will lead to better air quality, energy savings and a longer life for your system. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 25 to 40 percent of the energy used to heat and cool a home is wasted. “A clean HVAC system doesn’t have to work as hard to maintain a comfortable temperature, which leads to less energy used and improved energy costs,” the NADCA says.

What’s the cost?
For the average home, proper HVAC system cleaning ranges from $450 to $1,000, depending on type of ductwork, size of the system, accessibility, number of workers, level of contamination and environmental factors. This also affects how long the cleaning takes.

Have any questions? The Clean Air Columbia team is here and ready to help. Give us a call today, and we’ll walk you through the process and give you an estimate for cost and timeline.