Learn to Spot HVAC Problems Early

HVAC units cool your building on sweltering days, heat it on frigid days, and all the time they do that essential job of creating comfort for its occupants. Most HVACs simply whirr away—until they fail, says Lindsay Audin, president of EnergyWiz in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.

But that's expensive neglect that can substantially shorten the 10 to 20 year service life most HVAC systems will typically deliver—some pros say negligent owners will be lucky to get half that service life from their units. More impetus for getting serious about HVAC troubleshooting and maintenance just may come in sky-rocketing gas and electric bills. "Fail to do routine maintenance on an HVAC and that may cost you 5 to 10 percent more in energy bills," says Keith Kramer, an HVAC specialist with New Lenox, Ill.-based Munch Supply.

Well-maintained units run more efficiently, period. The good news: much routine maintenance is easily performed and, even better to know, when an HVAC needs help beyond the routine, it usually cries out for attention long before it crashes.

Listen Up
The loud sign an HVAC needs attention: "It will sound different, probably noisier," Audin says. Most HVACs produce a steady, monotonous noise. When that noise jumps up in decibels, or becomes irregular, pay attention. That HVAC is crying for help.

The other sign of an HVAC troubleshooting is needed: when the system is no longer operating as efficiently as it had been, Audin says. Suddenly that room feels hotter than it used to, or the space is colder on a cool day. These may be signs of mounting inefficiency in the unit's operation and that is a warning that a check-up is in order.

A third sign: Are you calling in repair experts more frequently? "When you begin to see numerous repair bills that may be a sign of a dying HVAC," says Blaine Fox, general manager of West Chester, Pa.-based ServiceMark, an HVAC company. Just as an automobile signals that the end is coming by breaking down again and again, so does an HVAC, Fox says. Know that when you have to enter an HVAC specialist into speed dial, that's a sign that it's time to budget for a replacement unit.

Exactly what attention do HVACs need? Probably the key step is regularly changing filters—"at least quarterly, and bi-monthly in many settings," says Hector Vargas with Redlands, Calif.-based ACH Mechanical Contractors Inc. Particularly dusty environments may even need monthly filter changes. The fastest way to destroy an HVAC and to make it run inefficiently is to clog it with dust and dirt. "When a filter is dirty, you are starving the unit of air," Vargas says. Good filters keep the unit cleaner, and advice from most experts is to splurge on filters. The cheapest ones may work but filters that cost several times more than entry-level filters and that promise better filtration of dust and allergens probably are worth the extra money.

With outdoor units in particular, experts urge that dead leaves, dirt, and the rest of the debris that often collects around HVAC fans and blowers be cleaned away a few times a year. A few minutes with a leaf blower and a hose can do a lot of good for the system.

Most HVAC service technicians recommend bringing in a professional HVAC contractor for a twice yearly inspection, usually just before the start of the cooling and then the heating season (say, April and September). On these visits, a tech will spend 30 to 60 minutes getting close and personal with the HVAC. Filters are changed, belts checked for appropriate tightness, and all moving parts are checked and lubricated as necessary. "Doing these inspections is a way to prevent unit failures," Fox says. A qualified tech will spot little issues before they turn into big trouble. A dab of lubricant now can keep an expensive part from burning out six months from now and that's the logic of investing in periodic inspections which, in most cases, will pay for themselves in prolonged HVAC life, say the professionals. "Most HVAC failures could be prevented with regular maintenance," Kramer says. Spend a few dollars now the HVAC will give better service for many more years.