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If you own a home with an HVAC unit you may replace filters every once in a while but the maintenance needed for the long-term health of the system is a little more involved. If not identified early, small issues can compound over time and become quite costly to remedy. The most common issues that may arise with an HVAC unit are described below.
It is critical to make sure the HVAC unit is kept in good working order through regular service. Work with a professional technician and follow the recommended maintenance calendar. Performing regular maintenance will help to ensure issues are avoided or resolved in the early stages, helping you get as much life as possible out of the HVAC unit.
One of the most common issues is HVAC filters that are dirty and clogged. Forcing an HVAC unit to work with dirty, clogged filters is a sure way to shorten its lifespan. One of the signs that the HVAC filters might be dirty is that electricity or gas bills are starting to rise. This is a sign that the HVAC unit is working too hard. If not addressed, the unit will be unable to keep up and will eventually shut down entirely. Prevent this by replacing the filters on time.
Another common issue relates to the ignition of the HVAC system itself. There are a number of reasons why this might be happening. Sometimes, the pilot might be dirty. In other cases, burners or flame sensors might prevent the ignition process from proceeding. Other times, you may experience a delayed ignition of the burners or a furnace lockout. This might be due to routine wear and tear or an issue with the gas supply itself.
Occasionally you may experience problems with the thermostat component. If your furnace is not calling for heat when you adjust the thermostat, the problem may be with the thermostat itself. First, review the programming if your HVAC system includes this feature. Adjusting or resetting the scheduling may resolve your issue. Alternately, if your thermostat runs on battery power, replacing the battery may resolve the issue.
I'm John Mahan, Sales Associate with William Raveis Real Estate, Harwich Port Office.
Throughout his childhood, John Mahan spent summers on Cape Cod at his parents’ home in Dennis Port. His intro to the Cape was, as he puts it, when his parents “carried me down the stairs at Sea Street Beach when I was a week old.” With a lifelong connection to Cape Cod, it seemed only natural for John and his wife, Mary, to move to Harwich – where they still reside – with their two young children in 1996.
Prior to moving to Cape Cod, John lived in the Worcester-Auburn area where he worked for Mass Electric for 10 years and was a member of the International Brotherhood of Utility Workers. When John and his family moved to the Cape, he worked at NSTAR for six years.
John began his career in real estate in 2002 when he joined Team Waystack Realty in Harwich Port. He has been a consistent top producing realtor in the Harwich area for the past 20 years. John’s approachable demeanor, combined with an integral understanding of the Cape Cod residential real estate market, have allowed him to build trusting, long-term relationships with his clients – both sellers and buyers.
