For homeowners, there are few things worse than realizing the air conditioning has shut down on the hottest day of the summer, or that the heating isn’t operating as it should when there are snowstorms in the forecast.

Scrambling to find an HVAC technician to resolve your heating or cooling problem in the midst of an emergency is stressful and time-consuming—not to mention that continuing to run your HVAC system when a problem arises can end up causing even more damage and costing even more money in repairs. 

Regular HVAC maintenance checks, where your technician works through an HVAC service checklist, can help prevent major breakdowns that can leave you in a panic. We’ll walk you through exactly what is done during HVAC maintenance so you know what to expect from your technician. 

HVAC Maintenance Checklist

A professional preventative HVAC service checklist should include all of the following:

Thermostat assessment. Sometimes heating and cooling issues aren’t due to an HVAC unit malfunction, but rather a faulty thermostat. Your HVAC technician will test the thermostat to ensure it’s properly calibrated. 

General operation assessment. Essentially, your technician should run basic diagnostics to ensure that your HVAC system starts, runs, and shuts off correctly. 

Outdoor unit inspection. Leaves, sticks, and other debris can build up around your exterior unit and prevent the system from operating efficiently. During your maintenance check, the technician will clean and inspect the exterior unit of your HVAC system. 

Air filter replacement. While homeowners should replace their filters regularly, your maintenance technician should also replace them if necessary. Air filters typically need to be replaced every 3 to 6 months, especially if you or a loved one has allergies or other respiratory conditions. 

Voltage and amperage check. This task test to make sure your HVAC unit is functioning according to the manufacturer’s specifications. If your HVAC unit is drawing too much/too little power, it can cause the system to break down sooner than expected. 

Some more technical items your technician should cover in their HVAC service checklist include:

• Blower and motor assembly check
• Condenser coils inspection and cleaning
• Refrigerant level correction
• Lubrication level correction
• Electric strip heaters check
• Pulleys and belts check
• Heat exchanger inspection
• Condensate drain check
• Electrical connections inspection
• Supply and return temperatures check
• Compressor operation inspection
• Fan limit switch check
• Burners check
• Overall safety of system check

Your technician will also be on the lookout for unusual noises, vibrations, or smells as well as any leaks that may indicate damage to your HVAC system. 

The Importance of Regular HVAC Maintenance

Your HVAC system is a highly complex combination of machinery, consisting of many different parts that can fail if not properly cared for. When these parts don't get the tune-up they need, your HVAC system can suffer severe damage that ends up needing expensive repairs to fix. Getting your HVAC unit regularly inspected when switching from heating to cooling season and vice versa is the best way to get ahead of issues while they’re still small and easy to resolve. 

How Long Does HVAC Maintenance Take?

A full HVAC service checklist can take a technician a few hours to get through depending on your home’s particular system. While you don’t need to worry about putting your entire day on hold for the inspection, it’s helpful to be somewhat flexible with timing. This small investment of time might sound like a hassle, but it can save you the massive inconvenience and expense of going several days without air conditioning in July or heating in January. 

Schedule Your HVAC Maintenance Check Today

Don’t wait until a major problem pops up to have your HVAC system inspected. Scheduling regular HVAC maintenance inspections can save you time and frustration later down the line. At CroppMetcalfe, we include HVAC maintenance checks in all of our HVAC service agreements so that our customers get priority service when they need it most. Call or contact us online today to schedule your HVAC inspection with one of our expert 5-Star Technicians.