Getting an HVAC tune-up is a crucial maintenance step for keeping your air conditioning and heating systems operating proficiently year-round. One does not approach the process only when a problem arises; a tune-up can help prevent expensive breakdowns in the first place. It can also save you money by keeping everything running at peak efficiency. While each system is different, there are things that any HVAC tune-up checklist should include.

START WITH CARBON MONOXIDE TESTING

Safety should be the top priority, so a tune-up checklist needs to include combustion testing of your furnace. A fuel-fired furnace does not spend all its gas during operation and releases some of that fuel as carbon monoxide (CO). Inspecting the level of CO released while the furnace is running can tell you if it is wasting too much gas.

Trained personnel can inspect the furnace with equipment once temperatures in the system stabilize and at each heat exchanger cell. That will help keep your furnace running efficiently and prevent unwanted CO buildup that could endanger everyone in the home.

TEST ALL HVAC SAFETY EQUIPMENT

Inspecting your HVAC’s safety equipment to verify it is working is another crucial step on every tune-up checklist. This equipment includes gas shut-off valves and the limit switch that keeps temperatures from climbing too high around the combustion chamber. The air pressure switch, carbon monoxide detectors, and mercury flame sensors or thermocouples that help with pilot light safety will be checked as well.

Our technicians will check safety equipment to make sure it operates as intended. They will identify potential issues and help to correct them. This safety equipment protects your family, home, and HVAC system from wear and potential hazards.

CHECK BURNERS AND CLEAN THEM IF NEEDED

The burner plays an integral part in your heating system by mixing air and natural gas to produce the flame that heats your home. Dirt and other debris can cause burners to operate poorly, and connection or valve issues could develop over time.

Technicians check the flame to verify it is burning blue and evenly across the burner, cleaning it if needed. Connections might work loose and require reattachment or replacement. Properly functioning burners are cost-effective, produce adequate heat, and produce minimal carbon monoxide, no matter if the furnace is running or off.

CHANGING AND CLEANING FILTER MEDIA

A clean filter can stop dust, pet dander, pollen, and other small particles from circulating throughout the air column in your home. Those particles become trapped in the filter media and clog it over time. A dirty filter is less efficient at keeping the air clean and can restrict airflow through your HVAC system.

No tune-up checklist would be complete without checking, cleaning, or replacing the filters. Disposable filters need to be changed every three months. Permanent filter systems can be cleaned and reused. Our technicians will inspect your filters to help keep the air you breathe clean.

EXAMINING THE DUCTWORK

Your system’s ductwork moves air from your air conditioner, furnace, and ventilation pipes throughout your home. This integral part of your HVAC system can become filled with debris or become damaged. That leads to reduced air circulation and poor air quality.

A tune-up checklist should include examining the airflow through your HVAC’s ductwork. A technician can look for signs of dirty air flowing out of a
vent, limited airflow, rooms with different temperatures, or signs of vent damage near seams. You may need to have the ducts cleaned, patched, or resealed along seams to fix the problem.

VERIFYING THE THERMOSTAT IS WORKING PROPERLY

Your HVAC thermostat is the brain, sensing the air temperature and turning your air conditioner or furnace on and off when needed. A tune-up list should include inspecting the thermostat to verify it is sensing the proper air temperature and that all connections are secure.

Trained professionals can examine your HVAC system to verify the thermostat is kicking on your air conditioner or furnace when adjusted to various temperature ranges. That includes short cycling when your HVAC shuts down before full cooling/heating cycles are complete. A tune-up can also help you set programable thermostats to match your schedule and needs.

CHECKING THE SYSTEMS CONTACTORS AND RELAYS

Your HVAC contactors and relays open and close circuits, controlling electrical flow to your system’s components. That flow is what turns equipment on and off. Signs these components are not working include inconsistent operation, noises like chattering or humming sounds, and signs of charring or melting.

Our technicians can inspect these components using specialized equipment like multimeters. They can isolate and test these parts, replacing them if they do not close or open correctly. This tune-up step will allow your HVAC system to produce consistent temperatures in your home and help equipment shut down or start up properly.

CLEAN AND FLUSH DRAIN LINE AND TRAP

The HVAC system requires a condensate drain and trap to prevent the air from the system from escaping. It prevents conditioned air from blowing outside in a positive pressure system. When attached to a negative pressure system, it stops condensation from pooling in the air handler.

Our personnel can inspect the air conditioner drain tube to check that it is not blocked and unclog it if needed. That can prevent overflow at the condensate plate and stop algae growth and other debris from creating a block. They can also verify water is flowing correctly at the trap.

CHECKING THE AIR CONDITIONER REFRIGERANT LEVELS

Your HVAC system needs to maintain a proper level of the chemical compound used to absorb heat and provide cool air after running through compressors and evaporators. Low levels of this refrigerant make your air conditioner lose its ability to transfer heat, resulting in warm air circulating within your home. Our trained technicians can inspect and handle these chemicals in a safe and environmentally friendly manner, keeping your HVAC running cool.

ADJUST BELTS AND LUBRICATE MOVING PARTS

HVAC belts connect components like the motor pulley to the blower wheel pulley, helping push air throughout the ductwork. Adjusting these to the proper tension should be standard during a tune-up to prevent slippage and belt deterioration. Motor bearings and other moving parts require lubrication to reduce friction and reduce wear and tear on these parts. Regular lubrication can also reduce the amount of corrosion and heat buildup that affects sensitive components.

WE PROVIDE TUNE-UPS AND MORE

We can provide all your tune-up needs in Riverside and the surrounding area. From annual HVAC maintenance to getting your air conditioning ready for summer’s heat or your furnace set to handle the winter cold, we can help. Some of the other services our company provides include:

• AC installation
• AC repair
• Heating installation
• Heating repair
• Ductless mini-split services
• Indoor air quality solutions
• Maintenance plans
• Smart thermostats

We have provided professional work for homeowners in Orange County and the Inland Empire area since 2010. Discover how our customer service and HVAC expertise stand out from others. Contact Dragonfly Heating & Cooling today for more information.

When it becomes time to invest in a new heating or cooling unit for your home, you may be considering a ductless mini-split system. These unique systems provide homeowners with many different benefits that traditional heating and cooling systems do not. Before you make your decision of whether or not it’s worthy to invest in one for your home, it’s important to assess both its benefits and drawbacks.

CHEAPER THAN INSTALLING DUCTWORK

By far, the biggest benefit of ductless mini-split systems is that they provide a cheaper alternative to installing ductwork in an already constructed home. This makes mini-split systems popular for homeowners living in existing homes that are looking to invest in a whole-home heating or cooling system. Instead of having to invest in both an HVAC professional and a contractor to rip apart existing walls, install the ductwork, and refinish them, you can just invest in an HVAC professional who can install the mini-split system in your already finished home.

ZONE CONTROL

Another great benefit of mini-split systems is that they offer you zone control heating and cooling. Each individual wall-mounted or ceiling-mounted unit comes with its own thermostat. You can adjust that thermostat to whatever temperature you want in that specific room of your home while setting the thermostat on another unit to a different temperature.

When you have this ability to set different temperature zones in your home, it allows you to drastically reduce your energy bills throughout the year. For example, let’s take a look at the summertime. If you spend most of your time at home in your living room, it makes sense to set the thermostat relatively low in the living room and higher throughout the rest of your home. This way, you can relax in the cool comfort of your living room without wasting energy to dramatically cool all the rest of the rooms throughout your home that you’re not using.

THEY BOTH HEAT AND COOL YOUR HOME

One awesome benefit of ductless mini-split systems is that they can work to both heat and cool your home. Instead of having to invest in a furnace and then a centralized air conditioning system, you can purchase a system that does it all. This helps to simplify things like maintenance and repairs as you’re only dealing with one system as opposed to two different ones. It’s also very helpful when it comes to budgeting for future system replacement as you don’t have to worry about replacing two systems. You only have to worry about replacing one system.

PERFECT FOR ADDITIONS

If you’re like most homeowners, you’ll invest in at least one addition to your home. To ensure that the addition is adequately heated or cooled, you would need to run ducting to that addition. Unfortunately, it’s not always as easy as just connecting to existing ducting. Your existing ducting was built to handle the air supply of your existing home. When you start adding on to it, you may notice a decrease in the ability of your heating or cooling system to adequately keep your home at a comfortable temperature.

Ductless mini-split systems provide a great alternative for heating and cooling new additions to your home. Instead of having to worry about hooking onto existing ductwork that could mess with your system’s ability to heat or cool your home, you can simply set up an individual system for that room. All that is needed is a 3-inch hole from the inside of the room to the outside for the refrigerant lines to be run between the indoor unit and the outdoor compressor unit. This makes the construction of your addition much simpler than if you were to be adding ducting into the mix.

NO AIR LOSS DUE TO POOR DUCTING

One of the biggest problems that homeowners end up facing with traditional HVAC systems is air loss through their ducting. This ducting is made of metal material that expands and contracts over time. This natural process of expansion and contraction will force your ductwork to develop unwanted gaps and leaks that can allow air to escape.

In the summertime, you’ll notice that it will take longer for your home to cool because the cold air making its way through your ductwork ends up escaping into your wall cavities. The same holds true for the wintertime, where your warm air ends up in your walls instead of inside your rooms. With a ductless mini-split system, there is no ductwork where air can leak out. All the warmed or cooled air is made right at the indoor unit. Therefore, there is no loss of air and no waste of energy due to that air loss.

CASH IN ON TAX CREDITS AND REBATES

Due to the fact that ductless mini-split units are more energy-efficient than other options on the market, there are many tax credits and rebates that you can take advantage of when you invest in this type of system. Many homeowners cash in on federal, state, and local tax credits. It’s best to speak with your installation professional to learn about the specific tax rebates and credits that are available to you based on the type of system that you’re purchasing for your home.

MORE EXPENSIVE THAN FORCED-AIR SYSTEMS

While ductless mini-split systems have a plethora of benefits for homeowners, they do come along with some drawbacks. The most notable is that they’re about 30% more expensive than traditional forced-air HVAC equipment. This makes ductless mini-split systems an unfavorable option for homes that already have ducting installed for a forced-air system.

POOR AESTHETICS

Another major drawback of ductless mini-split systems is their aesthetic look. Mini-split units feature wall-mounted or ceiling-mounted indoor units. Both of these tend to stick out from the wall or the ceiling and are extremely noticeable to the homeowner. While these units do come with a sleek design and favorable colors to help blend into your home, they still can be easily seen. Compare this to the simple vent of a ducted HVAC system, and it’s pretty obvious that the ducted system is going to be more favorable on the aesthetic front.

MULTIPLE REMOTES

With a traditional forced-air HVAC system, you set the temperature on one thermostat, and it sets the temperature throughout your entire home. When it comes to using a ductless mini-split system, each individual indoor unit has its own thermostat. Most of these thermostats are placed within a remote that can be utilized for setting the temperature on that specific unit. It can be a little bit more confusing when you have multiple remotes for multiple units inside of your home instead of dealing with just one thermostat for your entire home.

PROFESSIONAL DUCTLESS MINI-SPLIT SERVICES

Dragonfly Heating & Cooling offers professional ductless mini-split services for the whole Riverside, CA, region. We’re also here for all of your other heating and cooling needs, including maintenance, installation, and repair. We offer our customers a convenient maintenance plan as well as affordable installation financing on approved credit. Simply contact our office today to get the help that you need!

Most homeowners are now shifting to Programmable Thermostats to conveniently improve their homes’ comfort level. A programmable thermostat follows a preset schedule to adjust the temperatures in your home, making your house comfortable all year round, regardless of the weather patterns. It also optimizes your heating and cooling unit and makes your home more energy-efficient.

Let’s dive into more in-depth details on the benefits of a WiFi enabled, smart, programmable thermostat for your home.

1. CONSISTENT TEMPERATURE

A programmable thermostat can maintain a consistent and perfect temperature throughout your house. You don’t have to crank up your HVAC unit when the temperature increases dramatically or turn the heat up in the cold season. This programmable device follows a set schedule to keep the temperature at specific levels in your home. You’ll avoid cold or hot spots within your house and feel comfortable when relaxing or working at home.

2. SAVES TIME

You spend less time adjusting a programmable thermostat. You simply program it beforehand on when to change the temperature or when to turn it on or off. When using a manual thermostat, you’ll spend more time setting the desired temperature for different times when you are indoors. When leaving your house, you have to make more adjustments and also readjust once you are back in the house.

It also takes some practice to set the temperature on a manual thermostat. A programmable thermostat eliminates all the time you spend on the wall unit because you set a schedule each season and enjoy the comfort of your home.

3. SAVES MONEY

Combating your heating and cooling costs is probably one of the most significant benefits of installing a programmable thermostat. With energy bills continually rising, finding a way to reduce your usage saves you money. By using a programmable device, you can set your indoor temperature to a level that suits you and your family. You can also customize a schedule that fits your family’s routine or lifestyle to keep temperatures warm or cool while you are indoors.

Depending on your routine, you can schedule six or more temperature changes in a day. You can also schedule temperatures to be higher during extended periods when your family is asleep or away from home, like during a vacation. Turning up your thermostat by about 7 to 10 degrees more than the usual temperature in your home for eight hours every day can lead to a 10% savings on your cooling costs.

4. OPTIMIZES YOUR HVAC UNIT

If you have an old HVAC unit or one that is no longer efficient, pairing it with a programmable thermostat will ensure it works more efficiently. An automated thermostat reduces the workload of your old unit, so it works at its best. This is a smart way of ensuring your appliance can take you through the rest of the season.

Even if you plan on purchasing a new HVAC unit, pairing it with a programmable thermostat will keep your system in top condition. Reducing your air conditioner’s workload also helps minimize wear and tear in the long run, so your unit can last longer.

5. ZONED COOLING AND HEATING

If your home has several climate zones, a programmable thermostat keeps the entire house at the right temperature. Since you have programmable controls, you can customize each area to a specific temperature. You avoid wasting energy running your heating and cooling unit in an empty room.

6. ADVANCED TOOLS AND FEATURES

Some of the new programmable thermostat models come with advanced features. This can include Wi-Fi capabilities and functions that can track local weather patterns and adjust the temperature accordingly. Others can sync with smart devices like your tablet, smartphone, or laptop.

By having a programmable thermostat connected to your house’s network, you can adjust the temperatures in your home while seated on your favorite couch or in your office. This is a significant benefit, especially if you stay somewhere longer than you expect, such as on a business trip or an extended day at work.

7. MORE CONVENIENCE

Before automated thermostats, you had to come home to an uncomfortable temperature and wait until your HVAC unit cooled or warmed your house. The other option was to come home to a heated or cooled house and pay for the extra energy consumed by your system when you were away. With programmable thermostats, you don’t have to keep readjusting the temperatures throughout the day. These programmable devices can do the work on your behalf, which also helps you reduce energy use.

8. IMPROVES YOUR HOME’S EFFICIENCY

Temperature changes in each season make it difficult for homeowners to keep their homes more energy efficient. Using a programmable thermostat will make your house energy-efficient regardless of the season. When you have an efficient home, you can better preserve your systems and utilize the available resources effectively. You will also reduce energy wastage and your overall environmental impact.

9. PROVIDES RELIABLE PRECISION

A programmable thermostat allows you to precisely pinpoint and change temperatures to a level that suits you. Whether it’s during the cold or hot season, every degree you lower or raise your thermostat can save you approximately 2% off your utility bill. Notably, the accuracy of a programmable thermostat only varies by half a degree, while the accuracy of manual units varies within a 5-degree range.

10. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TIME

A programmable thermostat lets you take advantage of periods within a day and the temperature variations based on specific seasons and the sun’s position. Adjust your cooling schedule when the sun starts to warm up your home during the summer season. During the cold months of the year, minimize the heating power and let the sun’s warmth warm your house. In the winter season, you can increase the heating power of your HVAC unit to keep your loved ones warm and comfortable.

11. PROVIDES SYSTEMS ALERTS

Some modern programmable thermostats come with inbuilt alerts. These devices can tell you when to check or change the air filter to ensure your HVAC unit runs efficiently. Depending on the model you buy, some can even notify you when to check or service different parts of your system so that you can catch issues early.

CALL AN HVAC PROFESSIONAL TO INSTALL A PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT

Pairing a programmable thermostat with your heating and cooling unit can be one of the most cost-efficient investments in your home. You will maintain a comfortable environment in your living space while still making additional energy savings. Whenever you are ready to enjoy the convenience of a programmable thermostat in your home, our certified technicians at Dragonfly Heating & Cooling can install it for you. We can also help you choose the model that suits your family’s needs.

Our technicians are NCI and NATE certified, so they are fully equipped to work on energy-efficient and safe appliances. Since we started operations in 2010, we’ve always put our customers’ needs first by delivering quality services that surpass their expectations. Our knowledgeable and experienced team is here to help keep your home comfortable throughout the year. We offer AC and heating installation, repair, and maintenance. Our team even works on ductless systems in Riverside, CA, and the surrounding area. Call us to book any of our services.

Purchasing and installing a new HVAC system can make a significant improvement in your home’s comfort. Before you invest in a new system, though, it’s important to do your research. Ultimately, you want to be sure that the system you purchase provides optimal value for the money you spend. One of the most value-building features of HVAC systems is their efficiency. A more efficient system will help you significantly lower your heating and cooling costs during the system’s lifetime while helping to keep your Riverside home more consistently comfortable. One way to determine the efficiency of your HVAC system, specifically your air conditioner, is to look at the SEER rating of the system.

SEER DEFINED

SEER is an acronym that stands for seasonal energy efficiency ratio. The SEER rating scale ranges from 14 to 25, with many systems falling in the 15 to 18 range. An air conditioner’s SEER rating is calculated by determining its heat-removing capacity and dividing that by the amount of electricity required to remove that volume of heat. At first glance, it may seem odd that an air conditioner is rated based on the heat it removes instead of the cool air it delivers. However, heat removal is an air conditioner’s main job. Using refrigerant, an air conditioner traps heat and then expels that heat outside. Therefore, heat removal, which is measured in BTUs, is an important part of the efficiency calculations for an air conditioner.

MINIMUM SEER RATING

Any new air conditioner sold today has a SEER rating of at least 14. The federal government established the SEER rating system in 1992. At that point, the minimum SEER was only 10. As recently as five years prior to that, the average SEER rating for household systems was below 9. As a consumer, this should instill confidence that any system you select from Dragonfly Heating & Cooling will help you stay comfortable and save money. At the same time, it’s important not to be fooled by marketing gimmicks that make a system with a low rating seem like an advanced system. A smart consumer knows to look at the SEER rating, which is calculated using an objective formula, to make sure they’re truly getting a good value.

COST AND EFFICIENCY

When buying a new system, it’s best to opt for the most efficient system that you can fit into your budget. What savings will you actually realize, though, when you choose a more efficient system? One factor that determines cost savings is the size of your air conditioner. A larger unit from Dragonfly Heating & Cooling will tend to see greater energy savings when you upgrade to a more efficient unit, though the overall difference between sizes is negligible. As a rule of thumb, you will likely see a reduction of 7% in overall energy costs for every higher SEER rating level. Important to note is the expected savings over the unit’s lifetime instead of only the savings you can expect to see in a single year.

A WORD ABOUT AFUE

As a savvy homeowner, it’s important to understand what different HVAC terms mean so that you can make an informed HVAC buying decision. When researching the efficiency of an HVAC system a term that will often appear alongside a SEER rating is something called an AFUE rating. AFUE stands for annual fuel utilization efficiency. This is the rating given to measure the efficiency of furnaces. Unlike a SEER rating, which measures how much heat an air conditioner can remove with a certain amount of energy, an AFUE rating measures how much heat a furnace can produce using a particular amount of energy. If you’re having Dragonfly Heating & Cooling replace your entire HVAC system, you’ll want to pay close attention to both the SEER and AFUE ratings to ensure you get the most efficient system for your home.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF SYSTEMS

In some ways, it can be difficult to compare different air conditioners, even when you know the SEER rating of each system. That’s because different categories of systems offer vastly different efficiencies, meaning that you need to be aware of the various system types to buy a system that best meets your needs. First, you have the standard air conditioner that works alongside a standard furnace. The main way to increase efficiency with a standard air conditioner is to opt for one with a variable-speed fan. You can also select from a variety of air-source heat pumps. Although these typically don’t offer increased efficiency in the summer, they offer much greater efficiency in the winter thanks to the way in which they bring heat into your home. Finally, there are ground-source heat pumps that are, by far, the most efficient and longest-lasting systems available.

YOUR ROLE IN EFFICIENCY

Although the type of system you choose plays a big role in the efficiency you can expect, the day-to-day care of your system can also help improve or harm its efficiency. One great way to improve efficiency is to install and properly use a programmable thermostat. By making sure that your HVAC system isn’t running at full capacity when you’re not home, you can save a large amount of energy over the course of a year. Additionally, you need to make sure to replace your system’s air filter when it’s dirty. Experts recommend checking the state of your air filter at least once per quarter and replacing it as often as necessary. Finally, make sure to schedule regular maintenance with Dragonfly Heating & Cooling to keep your system operating at peak efficiency.

LIFE EXPECTANCY OF A SYSTEM

When purchasing a high-efficiency HVAC system, it’s important to consider the initial investment stretched over the lifetime of the system. If you can’t get a solid return on your investment based on the increased efficiency of the system, it may make sense to opt for a less-expensive system that’s slightly less efficient. One great thing about ground-source heat pumps is that, in addition to being exceptionally efficient, they also last far longer than any other type of HVAC system. Therefore, while the upfront cost for a ground-source heat pump is significant, you’re much more likely to see a return on your investment over the lifetime of the system, assuming that you remain at the home where it’s installed for several years.

NEW OR OLD, WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED

At Dragonfly Heating & Cooling, we take pride in helping our customers select efficient and effective HVAC systems that will keep them comfortable and help them save money. In addition to HVAC installation, we also offer maintenance and repair for both air conditioners and furnaces. We can also install new thermostats to help your existing system operate more efficiently. For over 10 years, people throughout the region have taken advantage of our top-notch customer service and fair prices. That’s one reason why we consistently receive five-star reviews from our customers. With only NATE-certified technicians on staff, you can be confident that we’ll be able to accurately address any home comfort need that you have. To learn more about selecting a new HVAC system, contact us today.

Without clean HVAC air filters, your heating, cooling, and ventilation system could be dirty and clogged up all the time. Those filters catch the harmful particles floating around your household. In turn, the HVAC system protects you and your home from all the dust, dirt, pollen, pet dander, mold spores, and other contaminants.

However, your HVAC filters can’t just trap particles forever without getting overly packed with these contaminants; to keep your filters functional and effective, you need to replace them regularly. Every household is unique, though, so you need to consider several variables to determine how often you should switch your filters.

THE TWO MAIN FILTER TYPES

There are two primary types of household HVAC filters, and each one has a recommended baseline for how often you should replace it. Fiberglass filters are the more affordable of the two, but they also tend to be slightly less effective at catching particles. On average, fiberglass filters should be replaced monthly.

Pleated filters are pricier, but you get what you pay for, and they’re impressively efficient at keeping your appliances clean and healthy. Plus, you don’t have to replace them as often; the average lifespan for pleated filters is around three months.

Both types of filters are disposable once you’re finished with them. Remember, the one- and three-month lifespans are baselines; there are several other factors that are dependent on your personal situation that could affect filters’ usefulness.

DIFFERENT GUIDELINES FOR DIFFERENT SEASONS

Although it would be easier if you could replace your filters on the same schedule all year, that isn’t practical. The time of year has a direct impact on how quickly the filters become dirty or clogged. During the mild Riverside spring and fall seasons, you most likely aren’t relying as heavily on your heating or cooling systems. As a result, less air is cycling through your HVAC systems, and fewer particles end up in the filters. During these seasons, you can wait a bit longer than average to replace the filters.

The opposite is true for the harsher summer and winter months. A good rule is that, whenever you’re frequently depending on your HVAC appliances for comfort, be proactive about changing your filters. If you let it go, you may be faced with inevitable and potentially costly air conditioner repairs.

THE SIZE OF YOUR HOME

The overall size of your home impacts your HVAC filters as well. The more square footage you’ve got, the more air your appliances must circulate to distribute hot or cool air to every part of the house. As a result, filters in large homes usually get dirty and need replacing more quickly than the filters in small houses. However, if you’re in a relatively small dwelling, you’ll want to check the size of your HVAC unit; sometimes, smaller homes will be equipped with significantly smaller units. In that case, the filters will be smaller too, and they’ll likely become clogged just as fast as they would in a large home.

PETS MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE

The more pets you have living in your home, the more frequently you’ll need to switch out your filters. Primarily, this is because of all the pet dander and hair that our furry little friends produce. Lots of those hairs and particles will be cycled through your system consistently. Additionally, if you have dogs or other pets that spend time outside, they’ll regularly track dirt, pollen, mold spores, and other contaminants in from the outdoors.

DEALING WITH ALLERGIES

Do you or anyone else living in your home suffer from allergy symptoms? If so, the presence of dust, pollen, and pet dander will exacerbate those annoying, uncomfortable reactions. If you have allergies and don’t replace your filter frequently, you’ll likely find yourself coughing, sneezing, and scratching constantly.

When allergic reactions are a factor, you probably don’t want to wait until your filters get overly dirty or clogged before replacing them. To ensure that the air circulating through your home is always as clean as possible, be extra proactive about purchasing replacements. New air filters are generally affordable, and your nose and throat will thank you.

BIG CITY LIVING

Unless you’re somehow able to keep your home sealed up tightly 24/7, then the air quality of the area you live in will affect your HVAC filters. If you live somewhere with pervasive pollution, such as a big city or industrial area, far more smoke, dust, and debris will make their way through your household. That increased pollution will result in your filter losing effectiveness more quickly. However, if you live out in the country or somewhere surrounded by trees, the air cycling through your HVAC system is probably cleaner on average.

Wildfires around the country have become more common in recent years, and if you live in an affected area, your filters are probably encountering a fair bit of that smoke. Don’t forget to take this into account when it comes to replacing them.

WHO LIVES IN YOUR HOME?

In many cases, the number of residents in a household will play a role in the HVAC filter lifespans. For example, if you live by yourself and you’re spending eight hours at work each day, your heating and cooling systems likely aren’t working all that hard. In that case, your filters can probably last longer than those in the average home. However, if there are four or five of you and multiple people are usually home at the same time, the odds are that air is getting circulated frequently. That means your HVAC filters are probably working pretty hard and will require more consistent changing.

It’s also important to consider whether or not you have any children in the home. Young children are usually more sensitive to airborne contaminants than adults are. To keep them healthy and comfortable, you’ll want to be extra proactive about keeping your filters clean and efficient.

VISUAL INSPECTIONS ALWAYS HELP

Even when you take all of these factors into account, it will probably take some trial and error to figure out your filter replacement routine. While you’re trying to determine how long your HVAC filters last, visually inspecting them will be a huge help. Whenever you’re in doubt, simply hold the filter up to a light source. If the light passes through the filter, it’s probably still clean enough to be effective. If it doesn’t, though, you should take the safe route and replace it with a new one.

Remember, it’s far better to replace your HVAC filters a little sooner than necessary than it is to wait too long. Having consistently clean filters will save you money, improve your comfort, and keep your system healthy for the long haul.

Since 2010, our team at Dragonfly Heating & Cooling has offered quality heating and cooling services to the Riverside area. We treat all of our customers like family, and we’re dedicated to service, support, and education. We don’t just provide installations and tune-ups; we help you choose the best option for your home and walk you through the entire process. In addition to heating and cooling, our team can assist you with ductless systems and maintenance plans. To learn more about our services, contact us at Dragonfly Heating & Cooling today!