Heating, Ventilation, & Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems are complicated and require professional servicing and maintenance. Building owners should schedule professional maintenance for their HVAC systems 3-4 times each year, we advise once per quarter. Proper maintenance can potentially prevent future problems and systemic damage to the unit.

Maintenance can include a number of different things, all of which are important. Building owners should familiarize themselves with common maintenance items that their technicians should have checked or replaced with each service to best prevent future damages. Many techs have a chart that keeps maintenance points handy, ask your technician for their checklist before maintenance is performed and ensure they stick to it after - this can go a long way in ensuring your equipment is well maintained and free from human error.

Clean Coils

Coils are essentially covers over air intake zones, and they are very simple to clean. Coils on a regularly running unit will be covered in clumped layers of dust. Regularly cleaning coils keeps air flowing optimally into your unit, which is essential to proper function. If coil cleaning is neglected then air will struggle to enter your HVAC unit, which makes the system work harder than it should. This results in increased energy bills and a strain put on your system that can lead to far worse problems.

Replace Filters

This is the same as home furnaces or HVAC systems, air filters are crucial to optimal airflow and obviously serve as filtration protection from allergens and airborne clutter. Technicians rarely forget to replace filters, but it certainly does not hurt to ask. Failure to replace air filters has a similar effect on your HVAC system as dirty coils.

Inspect Belts & Pulleys, Lubricate Bearings & Motors

These things are the main reason that techs are here, and the most likely place they will find damages that can impact your system prior to the next maintenance. Techs will likely have these things on their checklist and can quickly lose you in jargon talking about the inner workings of this part of your unit. Ask questions and stay diligent, the majority of techs are happy to explain what things are and why they are important.

Ask About Annual / Seasonal / Location Specific Checks

Each area of the U.S. has it’s own challenges when it comes to HVAC system strain. For some regions spring is the toughest season on HVAC systems due to increased airborne pollens, for others it can a completely different season. Be sure to ask your tech what they have been seeing at other places, and ask what they are doing to check for those issues in your system. Inquire about annual checks and when the last time your system was checked for the ‘annual check’ items. The tech should be able to answer what is needed today, on the next maintenance, or not for a while, especially if they are a returning technician.

DM Supply Source has become a leader in wholesale HVAC supplies, and proudly equips HVAC technicians nationwide with high-quality parts and white-glove customer service. Contact our customer service department today for more information!