Is anything worse than spending money to replace part of your HVAC system only to have it break down a few weeks later because a different part went bad? Unfortunately, this happens more often than you might think. The HVAC system is the largest, and some would say most important system in the home. And because it is composed of so many parts, sometimes it is hard to keep each individual piece in top shape.

The furnace, air ducts, coils and condenser play a large role in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system and when something happens to one of these parts, it’s going to be expensive to fix. But when you understand how the major players of your system work together and that they need continual maintenance to survive, you will see their lifespan grow and your monthly bills go down.

HVAC Coils and Condensers

The coil and condenser are located outside of the house and both work very hard in the summertime to keep the inside of your home cool. Together, they take the concentrated heat from the inside of your home and dump it outside into the hot air. The coils are made up of metal and are there to transfer heat. It is important to keep both the condenser and coils clean because they will run more efficiently. Unfortunately, most of us do not take care of them as well as we should.

The furnace?

As you probably know, your furnace is what produces warm air and keeps your home nice and toasty during the winter. But did you know that the furnace works together with all other parts of the heating and air conditioning system?

“Most people think that the furnace is only used during the winter, but that is not the case. It is directly tied together with the AC unit because the furnace is the blower for the whole system,” said Berry. “Both the AC and the furnace use the same blower, so when a part is not working correctly on the AC side of your system, it is indirectly effecting the efficiency of your furnace.”

Air ducts

Air ducts are a system of hollow tubes that carry cooled and heated air throughout your home. They are located in the ceiling, walls, and floors, and play an important role in the heating and air conditioning system because without them, the air produced by your air conditioning unit and heater would have no where to go.

Often times, air ducts can develop leaks, but if properly maintaining they will help keep all other parts of your system in top shape. If you don’t keep up with routine maintenance and leaks are created several things can happen:

High monthly bills
Pressure buildup inside your home
Hot and cold spots
Dust and debris will collect around your home

When there is a leak anywhere in the air duct line it causes the cooled or heated air that is going through the line to escape into the attic instead of its intended destination. At the same time, the holes inside the duct line will suck up dust, dirt, and other contaminants that are inside your home. After they have been sucked up through the holes, they get blown out through the air vents that are in each of your rooms. This not only causes your home to get covered in dirt and disease, but will also clog up other parts of your HVAC system and cause it not to run as efficiently as it should.

Why should I think about my AC with winter right around the corner?

We know you won’t be using your air conditioning system during the winter, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be thinking about it. The HVAC system should be thought of as one single unit. In Houston, treating your HVAC system as one unit keeping up with continual maintenance on all parts of the system no matter the time of year, you are prolonging the life of your unit. So when you call the experts at John Moore Services for a 21-point heater inspection, ask them to take a look at your air ducts, coils, and condenser too.