Sacramento, California can be an exceptionally hot place, especially during the summer, which means that people’s HVACs are going to be used more often to cool off. It is for this reason that getting in touch and serviced by a quality HVAC contractor in Sacramento is a good idea according to Alpha Mechanical. It would be a particularly beneficial decision during or before things get warmer during the spring. Now, there’s a great way to go about things to get ready for the warmer months, and in this piece, that’s exactly what’s going to be looked at.
Not only let’s look at what you should analyze on your system, but also at what your options may be, depending on your situation. Without any further delay, here are some basic details to check before you get started!
Measures to take
HVACs are rather complex systems consisting of numerous parts. This, as implied, means that various pieces are going to be looked at if you desire to prepare for the spring and the coming summer. The following are a few things you can do as you prepare for the spring:
Filter replacement
Air filters are responsible for the flow of clean air indoors, by filtering out all allergens, particles and pollutants. Failing to replace them as necessary reduces air quality and that’s far from ideal. Replacement can often take place between monthly and 3-month intervals which all depends on how often the system is being used and skills of the HVAC company in Sacramento.
Duct maintenance
Maintaining your duct system is another important measure to take. When it comes to ducts, two measures are taken and these are:
- Duct cleaning, which ensures that the air quality inside is clean
- Duct sealing, which removes any cracks and caps in the ductwork, thus making the indoor air cleaner, and the system more efficient
In a similar vein, any debris that could be blocking the vents should be removed. This can be done by yourself using a vacuum cleaner.
Clearing the area around the outdoor unit (condenser)
The advice from most experts would be to place your condenser away from the sun, which is usually under an awning, or even a tree. Unfortunately, leaves, among a host of other debris can find their way around the unit and eventually clog it, preventing it from operating efficiently.
As such, it’s important to remove anything that has found its way inside the unit, as well as keep the area around the unit as clear as possible. Many experts even give a 2-foot space that must be clear around it.
Check your thermostat
During different seasons in Sacramento, temperatures can get very low in winter and very high in summer. Throughout the year, you can see the extremes on both the hottest and coldest days as low as the upper 30s°F. This means that thermostats are going to be adjusted to make the indoors warmer. This isn’t necessary when it gets warmer, so you might want to readjust your thermostat to match the increasingly hot weather.
This, however, doesn’t have to be done manually in this day and age, especially with the advent of smart thermostats. Upgrading to these allow adjustments to your indoor temperature to be made automatically based on several parameters and preferences including the following:
- The current weather conditions
- Your heating and cooling needs
- Your daily schedule
While we’re here, you might as well check the battery of your thermostat to see if it needs to be replaced. This is also something you want to do for your smoke detectors, or else they won’t work.
Analyze refrigerant levels
For those with HVACs that use refrigerant, checking for lower levels is an important task. This is because chances are that there is a refrigerant leakage somewhere that needs to be addressed as soon as possible by an HVAC firm in Sacramento. Failure to do so will result in less-than-desirable cooling.
Letting the system run
Simply allowing your system to work is a great way of finding out if it needs fine-tuning. Some of the things that are indicators of issues are as follows:
- Strange sounds coming from the air conditioner
- Bad smells that result from a build-up of debris and bacteria
- Too much humidity due to a faulty system
- Higher utility bills due to inefficiency
- A spike in allergies due to a drop in air quality
Why get the right help
If you’ve made it this far, chances are that you’ve noticed a certain DIY sense of things, as a lot of the things above can be addressed by you, save for the refrigerant leakage. However, if these very problems persist and worsen, you may need to call a professional.
With the help of professional guidance, you can do several things. These include inspections, regular tune-ups, usually twice a year, fixing issues that may have arisen during the lead-up to their visit and advising clients on what paths to take after an inspection. In regards to what would require advice?
Planning ahead
Well, think of the question of whether or not a system should be repaired or replaced. While the approaching springtime does mean warmer weather is coming, it means nothing if you make the wrong choice that, either way, could prove both inefficient and expensive, so advice is necessary.
Another reason to prepare before the weather warms up is an increased demand for such services during the hot season. Sacramento has well over half a million people living in it. Because of this, the hotter months are bound to bring in rows of people looking to be serviced. So it is a great idea to get ahead of the curve and be serviced before the need for it grows and the lines, so to speak, are long.
Final thoughts
As of the moment you’re reading this, spring has already begun, although still in its infancy, so the above measures are still applicable. These show that you can be proactive and do a few things yourself to prepare for the increasingly warm weather, but beyond that, an experienced HVAC contractor in Sacramento is needed. This is so that a proper and thorough inspection among other things can be conducted.
Think of the above tips, as early inspections done on your part before the real thing can commence. Afterwards, the appropriate advice regarding what to do next is given, so always call the experts for clarity.
