It is possible to spend hundreds of dollars every year on HVAC maintenance. Of course, this isn't necessarily a bad idea because proper HVAC maintenance can help to significantly reduce your utility bills, and increase the lifespan of the expensive appliances, like your furnace and condenser unit. However, you can still save a lot of money on your annual HVAC maintenance if you do some of the basic jobs yourself. This article explains a few of the easiest air conditioning repair and maintenance projects. Of course, they are still going to be many projects that should only be handled by licensed fascia.
Filter Replacement
Filter replacement is probably the easiest DIY project. You should definitely replace your own filters for a number reasons. First of all, you can get better prices on the actual filters if you buy them yourself. Many filters are sold in bulk, and available at home improvement and big-box retail stores. So, they are cheaper and easy to find. On top of this, you don't need to pay for the labor cost of having a professional install your filter. In reality, filter replacement is just a matter of removing your old filter and sliding the new one in its place. The job might take ten minutes, but it is definitely something that you can do yourself.
Condenser Cleaning
Some condenser maintenance jobs are easy DIY work, but others need to be professionally handled. Cleaning your condenser coils is very easy to do with just a hose. However, if you want to clean the fan unit on the inside of your condenser, you should probably let the professionals handle it. Not only are there delicate electrical components in the fan compartment of your condenser, you also need to worry about keeping the fan blades balanced on the stem. Because of this, any fan maintenance should be professionally done.
Furnace Cleaning
When it comes to working on the inside of your furnace cabinet, you have to use your best discretion. It actually isn't very difficult to access your furnace cabinet and clean it, but you need to know how to safely shut down your particular furnace model. Many models will have the shutdown instructions on a sticker on the door. So, you can look at the instructions, and decide if you are comfortable enough to do it yourself. If you are, you should let a professional handle it. Since there are electrical and gas components inside your furnace compartment, it might be better to be safe than sorry.
