Today’s furnace models are built with efficiency, performance, and safety in mind. No matter what heating system you have however, HVAC systems need to have regular attention to be at peak performance. Regular furnace maintenance is key to keeping your air filter changed, your blower motor blowing and your air flow flowing! If you want confidence that your heating system can meet the temp settings on your thermostat, then keep regular maintenance going with these maintenance tips and keep your system’s energy efficiency as high as possible this heating season; as well as the added bonus of lower energy bills!

Why is it so important to keep your furnace maintenance up on a regular maintenance schedule? What can you do to keep the various parts of your system running optimally, and increase the lifespan of your system? 

Here are a few things regular maintenance can help avoid and DIY tips to perform them:

The short answer to this is, “it depends,” but read on!

Did your air conditioner give out after a long and hard summer? Or maybe your heater quit on you last winter and you’re ready to get a new one before the winter arrives.  

When it comes to replacing your AC unit, or your entire air conditioning system, there are different views of when the best time is to look at replacing or upgrading to a central air conditioning unit. Some say off season, such as during the cooler months in Autumn or winter months when the cooling systems are not in high demand because the outside has cool air, believing the new price for a new air conditioner can be lower during that time, while others say wait for HVAC companies and retailers to offer rebates to get the best prices on a new AC system.

If there’s anything homeowners know, it’s the importance of a fully functioning, efficiently operating air conditioner during a Kansas City summer. When you set your thermostat and turn on your air condition system you expect cool air to flow from your ductwork, but if instead you feel hot air, or hear squealing from your blower motor, or hear terrible noises from your outside unit, you know it may be time to call a HVAC technician to perform troubleshooting and get your air conditioning system back to blowing cool air.

An air conditioner in disrepair will only cost you more money than it should, and leave you and your family feeling hot air, and feeling pretty uncomfortable. 

At the office, everyone keeps asking, “Comfort Bear, aren’t you excited? Winter is over!”

To be honest… No, I’m not. Winter is the only time of year that I can feel comfortable! I’ll have no choice but to blast my AC as soon as temperatures start rising. If my home isn’t colder than an igloo, you can bet that I won’t be happy.

What’s that? I should just cut my hair? Nope, not happening!

So, if I don’t want to suffer through the heat this summer, then I’ll need to make sure my air conditioner is ready for the season. After all, firing up your AC without any maintenance is just asking for it to break down on you at the worst time!

Before you run your air conditioner this year, take the time to have it inspected by a professional. They’ll be able to find any potential problems that might affect the efficiency or performance of your system. Some examples of those problems include:

Comfort Bear here. Let me tell you something about my cousins from the Arctic:

When they’re looking for a tasty meal, they rely on a sharp sense of smell. It’s so strong that they can even smell prey from under the ice.

If you humans had a sense of smell that good, you might be able to sniff out a fishy HVAC contractor. A bad HVAC contractor is a huge loss of both time and money, but it can be difficult to spot them.

Of course, humans do have something like this sense of smell, but they call it their intuition and experience. I’ll share some of that experience with you so you can sniff out a bad contractor.

Duct cleaning is not one of those things that homeowners often think about. After all, the ducts are not the flashiest parts of your home. At least, I certainly hope they’re not. Take it from a bear who knows, though, keeping your ducts healthy is just as important as making sure that your air conditioner is functioning properly. After all, they’re two parts of the same system! The ducts serve as the lungs of your home. If they’re not in good shape, your air conditioner won’t be able to cool your home effectively. Poor ducts also have a negative effect on the quality of the air itself. Let’s take a look at why it’s so important to keep your ducts as clean as possible.