Congratulations! You’ve just moved into your first home. If you’re like the majority of home buyers in America, now is when the real work begins. According to a 2017 study by the National Association of Home Builders, buyers of older homes drop nearly $10,000 on home improvements after signing off on their new digs. Are there home improvement projects on your new-homeowner to-do list? If so, keep your home’s lungs—the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system—in mind.

If your HVAC System Needs Work

If a home inspection was part of your due diligence during the buying process, you may already be aware of any issues plaguing your home’s HVAC system. However, if an inspection wasn’t done, or if the inspection revealed some issues, your first order of business is an HVAC system inspection. A professional will evaluate the system’s performance, looking for air leaks or faulty equipment. After identifying any issues, you can work with the HVAC professional to determine which issues to attack first. For example, changing your furnace filter is easier and cheaper than addressing an air-flow issue.

Following any work done on the system, implement a regular preventive maintenance schedule that includes an HVAC system inspection. There are several benefits to staying on top of your home’s HVAC system’s performance, including:

  • Avoiding unexpected problems. Regularly scheduled maintenance will identify issues early, before small problems have a chance to become big, expensive ones, and avoiding system interruptions and malfunctions during the hottest or coldest months.
  • Increasing efficiency. Keeping an air-handling unit in peak operating condition allows the system to heat, cool and move air without requiring extra energy. An efficient system also helps keep your energy bills under control.
  • Improving indoor air quality. As part of your maintenance plan, air duct cleaning can help eliminate built-up dirt and dust moving through the system, improving the overall air quality inside your home.
  • Extending the life of the system. Regular maintenance can help keep your HVAC system running better, for longer.

If your HVAC System Doesn’t Need Work

If no issues have been identified during a home inspection or after moving in, you’ll likely spend that $10,000 in other home improvements. However, home improvement projects are dirty, and the dirt and dust generated during home improvement projects can work its way into your home’s HVAC system, affecting its performance as well as the quality of the air inside your home.

Following any major home renovation project, bring in a professional air duct cleaner to address any build-up in the system and eliminate any dirt and dust generated during the project.

(Reprinted with permission from NADCA.com)