Spring has officially arrived here in the beautiful city of San Diego, and with the arrival of spring comes the beginning of warmer and warmer temperatures. As a result of the changing seasons, we can safely bet that homeowners throughout the San Diego area are going to start using their air conditioning systems a lot more. It could be that you’ve already started to kick your HVAC into overdrive in order to keep your home cool and comfortable. The heating component of your HVAC system is gradually going to be used less and less as the system transitions into air conditioning, which means that now is the time to perform a routine maintenance check on your HVAC system. It’s very important to do this routine maintenance check before temperatures start to get really hot, as you do not want to find yourself in a swelteringly hot house due to a poorly functioning HVAC system. That is why it’s a great idea to annually check up on your HVAC system when spring arrives and the flowers are starting to bloom. In order to ensure that you have the tools and information necessary to do a thorough check up on your HVAC system, our team here at Divine Home Remodeling has put together this article. Here you’ll find everything you need to know in order to do a adequately thorough inspection of your heating and cooling system and make sure everything is in working order. In the event that you detect less-than-optimal functioning of your HVAC, remember: repair and maintenance of HVAC systems is one of our very top specialties. We offer estimates completely free of charge on any and all of our services, so in the event that you do detect a malfunction, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us right away! Filter Replacement One of the first and most important things you can do for a spring maintenance/check-up of your HVAC system is to replace the filters. Chances are it’s been about a year’s time since your filters were replaced. What’s even more significant is that it probably has been some time since you ran your air conditioning, which means that dust has had the chance to collect and settle in the filters of your AC system. As you start to ramp up the usage of your AC system, that dust will flow into your home, causing undesirable outcomes like sneezing, coughing, itchy eyes, and other allergy-associated symptoms. To avoid this, it’s always a good idea to replace the filters before you start to really crank up the AC as temperatures outdoors rise. Outdoor Clean-up Another important task for ensuring optimal air conditioning functioning as summer approaches is to clean up the area that surrounds the outdoor components of your HVAC system. With all of the rain we received this year, this arrival of spring coincides with an explosion of plant growth. The growth of vegetation around the outdoor components of your HVAC system can inhibit the optimal flow of air into your HVAC system. Additionally, pollen from plants directly adjacent to your outside vents can inadvertently be sucked into the HVAC system, bringing that pollen into your home and causing allergies. This is even more so the case if your filters haven’t been changed in a while, which is all the more reason to have that task at the top of your to-do list. Refrigerant Levels Another important thing to do as outdoor temperatures begin to get hotter and hotter is to ensure that your HVAC system’s refrigerant levels are at the right volume. Check with your HVAC’s user manual or get in touch with us here at Divine Home Remodeling to determine where refrigerant levels should be in your HVAC system. If your refrigerant levels are below the optimal volume, it’s a simple fix to purchase more refrigerant and simply pour it into the appropriate hole. If this seems like a daunting task or if you’d rather not risk making any mistakes, we are more than willing to come by and get your refrigerant volume to the right levels, as well as perform any other maintenance services you aren’t comfortable with doing yourself. Run the Entire HVAC System Performing a maintenance check by running your entire HVAC system is a great way to check to see if everything is functioning properly. Simply turn on your system and check with your thermostat to make sure the temperatures are getting to the levels you set them at. It’s a good idea to run the cooling system first, followed by the heating system. If you notice that the thermostat isn’t getting to the level you set your HVAC systems, the next step is to schedule a maintenance service. Also, be sure to keep your ears open to any strange sounds coming from your HVAC system, whether it be sounds from the ventilation systems or the HVAC machinery itself. Also, be vigilant with your senses and be sure to take note of any strange smells that are coming from your ventilation system. Strange smells could be a sign that your HVAC system needs to be repaired, or that your ventilation system has something undesirable in it that needs to be cleaned out.