HVAC Guide For New Home Owners.

Have you recently bought a new home? That’s great news! Perhaps, this is not the first time you have bought one. Whether it is your first time or fourth, there are a few things that you should take care of in your new home.

The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system or the HVAC provides heating and cooling to residential buildings. If you have one installed at your home, you must take care of a few things. To ensure that the system remains in good and functioning condition, you need to conduct yearly tune-ups.

Apart from the annual maintenance, you need to take care of a few other things as well. To ensure the HVAC system’s optimal working, we have formulated an HVAC guide that is a must-read for new homeowners.

Know Your HVAC System Better

Be it an air conditioner, a water heater, boiler, or a heat pump; you should be aware of how it works to understand how the house gets cooled or heated. There are a few things that you must be aware of about your HVAC System.

Efficiency Rating: The heating and cooling system installed in your home has some specific ratings, as listed below.
Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency or Heating Seasonal Performance Factor.
Energy Efficiency Ratio or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio.
A highly efficient system has a higher rating and vice versa.
Unit’s Age: If the home that you have purchased is five to ten years old there is a chance that the HVAC system installed is old too. You should find out your HVAC system’s age and plan to get it replaced with a new one if it is too old. An old system requires relatively high maintenance and breaks down often.
Warranty: If your new home’s HVAC system is still in warranty read through the terms and conditions of the warranty carefully. If you have recently bought a new HVAC system understand the terms properly so that it doesn’t become void because of a minor mistake.
Inspection Reports: You should ask the former owner to provide you with the HVAC inspection reports. These reports prove that the HVAC system has gone through annual maintenance and you can learn about any problems previously reported. These reports will also help you understand what kind of performance to expect from the system.

Maintain Your Grounds

Make sure the area around your HVAC system is well-maintained so that the system can operate efficiently. You should always keep your plants, shrubs, and all other foliage at least two feet away from the HVAC system’s outdoor unit. Also, all garden tools should be kept away. In case dirt and dust fall on your HVAC system, get it cleaned as soon as possible.

Change Filters When Required

Changing the HVAC system’s filters on time and when required will help you keep it in working condition. Manufacturers recommend changing filters after a regular interval. A few systems are equipped with alarms that will remind you to get your filters changed when it’s time.

Even if you have a unit in the attic you should get its filter changed too. An unclean filter will disrupt the cooling or heating system. Moreover, dirty filters reduce the system’s life expectancy, and its efficiency is hampered. If required, get your filters changed even during the summer season.

Check The Ductwork Of Your Home

If you experience a musty smell in your home, if it feels extra humid, you experience fluctuating temperatures, or if you are receiving extremely high bills, get your ductwork inspected. These are the signs that something is wrong with your ductwork. It would help if you got it inspected by a team of specialists as soon as possible. If your ductwork has leaks, then the performance of your HVAC system will be negatively affected.

Do Not Close Your Vents

A few homeowners often close the vents to a few rooms that they don’t use much. As a new homeowner, you should not make the same mistake. Even if you have a few extra rooms, keep the vents open. People do it to save energy costs, but you should know that it doesn’t help save energy costs. It is simply because, when you close the vents, the HVAC system will have to work harder to maintain a consistent temperature level throughout. Because of that, it helps if you keep the vents open and you keep the areas near the vents clear of any clutter.

Maintenance Of Your HVAC

Annual maintenance of the HVAC system is critical. You should get your furnace and AC checked every year to know if there are any potential damage. The best time to have your system serviced is during spring or fall. It will help increase the life expectancy and efficiency of your system.

Remove The Ice

During the winter season, call for a professional as soon as you see ice forming on your HVAC system. If your HVAC system develops tiny heaps of ice, large sheets, or blocks of ice, you should get the system assessed by professionals to get to the root cause and protect your HVAC from getting damaged further.

Hire A Professional Company

You should always hire a trusted company for all your HVAC repair and replacement needs. It would be best if you did not wait until there is a severe problem with your system, and you will then have to look for an expert service provider. You should also check if the contractor has been in business for enough years to have the required expertise in the field. Professionals will be able to provide emergency services as well. Reliable and genuine contractors are aware of the tips and tricks to keep your system in perfect working condition.

Conclusion

Owning a new home will give you a sense of security. Though homeownership is exciting, it brings several responsibilities along. Follow the steps mentioned above and take care of your HVAC system to keep it working as expected.

What Will Void An HVAC Warranty?

Upon purchasing a new HVAC system, the customer receives a warranty card along with it. In case of technical failure the warranty card will cover the replacement of major parts, and it also covers costs of certain repairs and several other similar expenses. Although many are not aware of it, it is possible to void the HVAC warranty, even if it is done unintentionally.

Hence, it is critical to read the warranty carefully and adhere to all the rules mentioned in it. Make sure not to make any wrong moves and accidentally void the HVAC system warranty.

If you have been seeking help to ensure that your HVAC warranty remains valid, you are in the right place. Let us educate you on how you can prevent the warranty of your system from being voided.

Conditions Under Which The Warranty Stands Void

Missing Annual Maintenance:

Be it your furnace or air conditioner, getting annual tune-ups done is essential. Yearly maintenance helps to keep the system working and in the best possible condition. The HVAC warranty will become void if you don’t get the system tuned up by professionals at least once every year. Also, ensure to keep a record of the maintenance costs to prove to the service professionals that you have never missed an annual tune-up.

An Unregistered System:

For your system’s warranty to be active, make sure to register it in the first place. The companies require the registration of a system to be done within a specific period. Thus, make sure to get your system registered right after the installation of your system.

Getting The System Fixed By An Invalid Contractor:

To keep your HVAC warranty valid, you must always work with a group of contractors or professionals who have the required qualifications, licensing, experience and knowledge to carry out a specific task. If you hire an unqualified contractor to either install or repair your system, the chances are that your warranty will become void.

Using Mismatched Or Unauthorized Parts:

Cooling or heating systems are designed to work only with a certain set of parts. You must know that one manufacturer will not offer a warranty on parts manufactured by another manufacturer. Hence, make sure to use parts manufactured by the same manufacturer.

The HVAC warranties offered by the manufacturer become void when you install any unauthorized parts in the system. For instance, if the furnace is replaced without replacing the air conditioner, the warranty will stand null since it is not suitable for a new system to share some parts with an old one.

Generic Parts Used:

A large number of technicians in the HVAC industry often use generic parts when they fix your system. They don’t utilize replacement parts that the manufacturer initially approved. If cheap components are installed in the system, manufacturers will void the contract that you signed when purchasing a system and null your warranty. Thus, before choosing a contractor to get your HVAC system fixed, you must check that the professional only uses those parts approved by the manufacturer.

Trying To Repair Or Maintain The System Yourself:

Every air conditioning or heating system brand has its own set of guidelines to be followed while an installation or repair is performed. Such guidelines ensure that no damage is inflicted to the system during the process. Every technician in the HVAC industry goes through exclusive training to carry out these necessary tasks. Additionally, every contractor is taught to abide by manufacturers’ instructions while repairs are executed to ensure that they go well.

To prevent your furnace or air conditioner from getting damaged, don’t attempt to maintain or repair it yourself. Moreover, if a licensed technician makes a mistake while fixing your system, they have insurance to cover the costs incurred on the deteriorated part. Whereas, if you choose to get it repaired without a licensed technician, the warranty with your manufacturer will become void.

Inevitable Damages:

You must be aware that a manufacturer will not cover every type of problem you encounter concerning your furnace, air conditioner, boiler, or heat pump. Your air conditioner may get damaged due to incorrect wiring in your house, incompatible hardware, floods, etc. Such damages are not covered under the HVAC warranty. Only technical failures or manufacturing faults are covered in the HVAC warranty.

For How Long Does A Manufacturer Warranty Stays Active?

An HVAC warranty may stay active for up to ten years. However, the warranty period depends on the type of system and its brand. Additionally, if a homeowner fails to sign an agreement with the manufacturer before a specific deadline specified by the manufacturer, the warranty will get reduced to 5 years. You should also note that if you purchase a furnace that is seven years old, then several manufacturers will only record the remaining three years of ten years in the warranty agreement.

Problems Covered In HVAC Warranty

A standard HVAC warranty from the manufacturer generally covers problems with a furnace or air conditioner caused during its regular use. It typically covers all types of manufacturing defects and technical issues. For instance, if the condenser coils in the air conditioner break because of a problem during the assembly process, the manufacturer will cover the entire cost of removing the broken coils and installing them again. Additionally, several manufacturers also pay for any other damage inflicted on the system during the replacement procedure.

Conclusion

Most HVAC systems come with a limited HVAC Warranty that covers almost all of the system’s repair and replacement costs. Thus, the easiest way to protect your HVAC warranty is to take your time and read through the HVAC warranty details. Also, make sure to abide by the dos and don’ts mentioned in the contract.

Ask questions while signing the agreement if something mentioned on it doesn’t make sense. If you have registered your system, hire professionals for repair, conduct annual tune-ups, you are good to go. Also, steer clear of the above-mentioned careless mistakes that might void the warranty in no time.

Tag: HVAC warranty