How Often Should I Get My HVAC Serviced?

In this episode, we explore the crucial topic of regular service and maintenance for air conditioning and heating systems. We interact with Brandon Day from Daycool Heating and Air who provides invaluable insights into the importance of routine upkeep for these systems.

Many homeowners neglect servicing their HVAC system as they do their cars, waiting for an emergency to force them to seek help. However, this approach is ineffective and can even be detrimental. We liken this to ignoring regular dental checkups only to discover multiple cavities that could have been prevented through proper maintenance.

According to Brandon, a typical residential consumer should have his or her air conditioning system checked at least every six months. Specific conditions might necessitate more frequent checks and filter changes. On the upside, HVAC businesses offer automated reminders and scheduling services, making this task less burdensome for homeowners.

Regular checkups are beneficial in identifying potential issues before they escalate into major problems, particularly during hot summer or cold winter months. However, like the human body, an HVAC system can still break down unexpectedly despite regular checkups which, although not wholly preventable, can be minimized through routine maintenance.

We further discuss the significance of keeping track of refrigerant levels and checking for possible leaks, even during the heating season. Subsequently, we delve into the issues surrounding evaporator coils, noting how their quality has dwindled over the years, causing frequent failures. Unfortunately, these are usually replaced rather than repaired.

Finally, we discuss the impact of indoor air quality on your HVAC system and its direct correlation with household items that off-gas. As indoor air quality becomes questionable, stepping out for fresh air, and considering other solutions for improving indoor air quality become pivotal.

This episode serves as a reminder of the importance of regular HVAC system maintenance.

 

For more information about Daycool Heating & Air in Mobile, AL -  log on to www.daycoolair.com or check them out at www.checkapro.com.

 

Visit Us At -  www.daycoolair.com

 

Episode Transcript

(00:02):
If you're watching this, you probably have an air conditioning system and a
heating system, because most of us do, especially if you're in this part of the country.
So I have asked my friend Brandon Day to join me from Daycool Heating and Air
to talk to me about how often you should get your air conditioning and heating system serviced.

(00:22):
Hey, Brandon, how you doing?
Hey, how are you? I am doing well. Thank you so much for asking. asking.
So some people don't get their system service, their air conditioning and heating
system, much like some people have a car and they never get their oil changed.
I like those people. Yeah. So I know why you like them because they call with

(00:43):
an emergency call and you go out there and then you have to fix it.
But that's really not the right solution, right? We don't want to go to the
dentist to find out that we have a bunch of holes in our teeth.
We should try to go on a regular basis to the physician, to the dentist,
get your oil changed and fluids changed, and the same thing for your air conditioning system, right?
Right. Yeah. So how often?

(01:06):
We recommend at least every six months, depending on, you know,
for the normal residential consumer,
there's certain situations where you might need to do it quarterly.
You need to change your filter more often than that. But as far as checking everything out,
like we have our 247 club where
everything's automated they text you and it calls

(01:27):
you but you don't have to worry with anything but it's every six months um we
have certain clubs businesses uh people that have a lot of foot traffic to their
home what have you want to change filters often or have everything checked and
so that is just uh uh i want to maybe depending on uh.

(01:48):
How much your doors are open or this, that, and the other. Sucking in dust in the home.
But at minimum, we take all the stuff every six months. Try to kind of like go on a jiffy lube.
When you get everything checked, we do a physical of the system.
So we can try to find something that might be an issue for you before it is an issue.

(02:09):
And you're caught with your pants down. What's a big repair?
Yeah. Yeah. And for all of you who are watching this and listening to this,
it's generally a fall and a spring.
And you can put it on your calendar, but at Dayco they can put you on a calendar
as well and get you scheduled on a regular basis.
What's nice about having you guys come out twice a year is that if on one of

(02:32):
those checks you see there's an issue, you can then get it remedied at that point.
Point so on the hottest day in August you don't have a failure or is likely
to have a failure because you guys already maybe saw it in the springtime and
you actually addressed it then,
there shouldn't be surprises now every once in a
while there's going to be because you just don't know it's kind of

(02:55):
like a human where you go to the doctor for your checkup and
you have a stroke and drop dead it can happen right
so anything could could break at any point in time but
if you you maintain things on a regular basis you can see
some stuff coming um you know and one of
the things is is people may not realize that
the refrigerant has dropped a little bit and you can charge that up and if you're

(03:18):
charging it up there's probably a problem right especially yeah that was going
to be a good example that i gave you in winter we still check for refrigerant
leaks so that we can tell you before comes summer and customers calling us going
why didn't you tell on me.
This was an issue when you were last here, but a lot of people don't even check

(03:38):
the cooling systems in the heating season.
Yeah, and it's best really to check it when you can kind of push it.
So if it's cold outside, it's kind of really hard to do the best check.
But what happens a lot is in the coils, and coils aren't what they used to be.
Years ago, they were built better. I swear to goodness they were.

(03:59):
And you get these pinholes. That's often where the problem is going to be.
And it's not always a huge problem. Sometimes you know real quick that you've got a problem.
Other times it's like it could be a teeny hole, and sometimes that can be fixed,
right? And sometimes you just have to replace the coil.
Are there times where you can actually go in and fix that, or do you always replace that coil?

(04:22):
It's pretty rare that you can nowadays between the tubes being super thin or
aluminum. You're not going to solder aluminum.
But typically, like an evaporator coil, you just replace it.
If it's a condenser coil and it's copper, you kind of can get in there and do
it, but usually when a system's to that point, it's sometimes not worth the

(04:43):
expense of trying to repair it.
Yeah, the evaporator coils, I really don't think are built as well as they used
to, and they seem to fail a lot, and they're not that inexpensive,
but it's a pretty easy repair.
You just take the whole thing out, and it's done. You put a new one in.
And it just seems like a big piece of the unit that has to be taken out and replaced.

(05:05):
It's too bad they fail so much. But that's often where the failure is.
Yeah. And, you know, unfortunately, a lot of it has to do with the off-gassing
of these products in the homes and such. That's why you see it more and more.
That's why they've gone to aluminum coals because it was eating up copper.
What's that tell you about your health?
That's why you have a good indoor air quality solution as well.

(05:25):
Well, but carpets, off-gassing, couches, sheetrock, that's what heats coals up.
Wow. I did not know that. That is good. Formicary corrosion is what it's called.
Yeah. So the moral of the story is go outside and get some fresh air,

(05:46):
everybody, because your indoor air quality is very questionable.
And I'm going to get Brandon back on the radio program to talk about indoor
quality very shortly. Thank you so much. I appreciate it, Mr. Daycool.
Daycool with Daycool.