Answers to The HVAC Industry’s Most Frequently Asked Questions
With the new year comes a lot of unknowns. Of course, everyone wants to start the new year on the right foot, but this can be tough to do. Asking questions is the best way to get a head start and gain a clearer picture of what’s to come in 2020. But there are so many questions to ask.
Where to begin? Some questions may revolve around landing a new job, welcoming a new family member, existing health concerns, buying a new home, or even how to maintain a home. Luckily, for each question, there is an answer. When it comes to HVAC maintenance, here are a few of the most frequently asked questions and their answers.
What Can Be Done to Improve Air Quality?
One of the biggest concerns that homeowners have is the air quality in their homes. When people spend hours upon hours in their homes, is critical to be breathing in clean, fresh air. Though there are many HVAC products and services that help homes maintain air quality, there are also many ways to improve air quality without all of the HVAC gadgets and tools.Good air quality always starts with good hygiene. Think about all of the household products that collect dust, dirt and other allergens and pollutants. This includes things like carpets, curtains, and bedding. Regularly cleaning or washing these items can help improve air quality. Another tactic is to add a bit more greenery indoors.
Plants like bamboo and ivy not only give the indoors a warm and welcoming feel, but they also improve the air quality by removing toxins from the air and producing more clean oxygen. But those who can’t keep a plant alive to save their life may be looking for an even easier solution. In that case, just open up the windows! Having the fresh air circulating the house can flush out allergens and pollutants that are trapped inside.
How Frequently do Air Filters Need to be Changed?
Just like lint collects on the dryer filter during every load of laundry, air filters collect dirt and dust over time. When the filters become too full, warm air can have a tough time circulating the house, causing cold air to blow instead. As a result, the energy bills are often higher since the HVAC system is working extra hard to circulate the air through the house.
To prevent this from happening, it’s important that homeowners understand how often to change out their air filters. A 1-inch or 2-inch filter needs to be switched out about every 3 months, a 4-inch filter should be changed every 6 months, and a 5-inch filter should be changed once a year.
How Often Should Air Ducts Be Cleaned?
Another common question that homeowners have about their HVAC systems is how often to clean the air ducts in their homes. Cleaning the air ducts is a much more comprehensive and in-depth compared to the tactics mentioned earlier.To clean the air ducts, HVAC technicians will use a powerful vacuum to suck out the dirt, dust, and other contaminants from the entire ventilation system. Cleaning the air ducts prevents dust and dirt from circulating through the home, reduces allergens, and removes unpleasant odours, which helps everyone breathe a little easier.
Most air ducts should be cleaned every 3-5 years. However, for those who have allergies or respiratory illnesses, who smoke in the home, or have pets, duct cleaning should occur more frequently.
About Lambert Plumbing & Heating, LTD
Lambert Plumbing & Heating, LTD provides access to a team of highly-trained technicians who are individually specialized in a variety of areas, including gas furnaces, water heaters, and boilers, drain cleaning, general repair, and back-flow devices. They don’t want to just serve their customers’ plumbing and HVAC systems, they want to leave them with a pleasant, memorable experience that stands out from the rest.
