With the price of home heating fuel and energy expenses that are always on the rise, Oak Point Heating and Air LLC is proud to be an HVAC company that looks for ways to help people save money on heating and cooling expenses.

Sometimes increasing efficiency is as simple as adopting the right maintenance schedule, and other times an investment in repair and replacement work could be the thing that’s missing to get your system back up and running at peak performance.

Typically, a maintenance inspection is the best first step in diagnosing and resolving the problem.

Before you get in touch with your HVAC contractors, we think you should know a few things that could help mitigate additional problems and stop your utility bills from trending upward.

A Little HVAC Maintenance Goes a Long Way

Routine HVAC maintenance is arguably the best way to extend the life of your investment and ensure you’re not paying extra despite maintaining a steady building temperature.

Here’s what to pay attention to:

• Filters should be checked every month and changed at 3-month intervals

• Inspecting HVAC coils for buildup or debris regularly

• Reduced airflow due to buildup or blockages within ducts, coils, and filters

• Inspecting vents for proper airflow and good air quality

• Thermostat readings that match the true temperature of your space

Be sure to exercise caution when you’re taking a look at mechanical and electrical components in your home or business, and don’t forget to turn the power off if you are planning to open parts of the unit up for a closer look.

If any of the above seems off, it’s safe to say a call to a qualified heating and air-conditioning repair technician is warranted.

What Your Mechanical Contractors are Looking for During an Inspection

Once you have made the decision to bring in mechanical contractors to complete an inspection, they will perform a complete list of maintenance checks, including the following:

• HVAC electrical inspection

• Checking moving parts for proper lubrication

• Inspecting drainage components

• Checking thermostat sensors and settings

• Assessment of refrigerant lines and levels

• Blower inspections

• Gas and oil connection inspection

Leaving these in-depth procedures in the hands of qualified professionals is essential. Safety training and a thorough understanding of your system’s electrical and mechanical components are required to prevent damage or personal harm.

Common Problems that an HVAC Tune-Up Can Fix

Some of the most common problems that reduce your system’s efficiency can be fixed with a quick and affordable HVAC tune-up.

This includes:

• Rising home and commercial heating costs

• Thermostat sensor and programming issues

• Units that don’t always turn on or off when you want them to

• Problems with air temperature

• Issues with condensing unit fans

• Water leaks

• Frozen coils

• Problems with noise coming from the system

• Issues with your outdoor unit

• Foul odors emanating from your ductwork or system components

• Don’t put up with power and fuel bills steadily creeping upward.

Solving the above problems will ensure your home or business’s heating and cooling units are operating as efficiently as possible.

Consider a Retrofit Before a Replacement

Occasionally, more significant problems can plague a system and put a serious energy strain on your power and financial resources.

In these cases, an HVAC retrofit could be the affordable solution that helps you meet your goals.

Some of the benefits of an HVAC retrofit include the following:

• It’s one of the fastest ways to significantly increase energy savings

• It’s much more affordable than a full system replacement

• It increases the lifespan of your investment

• It offers better environmental control

• It decreases future maintenance costs and upkeep requirements

• You can see a much faster return on your investment

• It provides the ability to increase indoor comfortAnd more

It’s best to get in touch with a heating company with a long history of helping residents and local business access affordable resources. That way, you can be sure you’re getting what you’re paying for and that the work will be done to the highest standards.

HVAC Energy Audits Are a Good Idea: Here’s Why

If you’re new to the idea of an HVAC energy audit, let us explain why it could be a useful tool in decreasing your energy costs.

The purpose of an audit is to gain information on how your system is being used and to identify opportunities for cost reductions through better climate control and a smart management system.

An audit can assess your unit for potential upgrades that could see your system running more efficiently for longer, including:

• Thermostat upgrades

• Compressor replacements

• Adding additional internal controls for various internal components

• Building insulation upgradesAnd much more

An energy management audit of your system can identify usage patterns that can help you spot opportunities to adjust your heating and cooling habits to capture more savings without sacrificing any comfort.

This could look like:

• Lowering room temperature in specific areas during different times of day or night

• Adjusting building temperature levels according to the season

• Adjusting unit coverage boundariesAnd more

The above are just some beneficial aspects of what audits can do to put a damper on rising energy costs. If you’d like more information, feel free to reach out for the answers to all your questions about heating and air service.

Don’t Overlook the Value of Regular HVAC Maintenance and Repairs

We’ve covered this above, but we can’t overstate its importance. HVAC maintenance and repairs are vital to keeping your system from running into any problems with inefficiency and sluggish performance.

If you’re not sure where to start, Oak Point Heating and Air LLC can help with that. Our licensed HVAC contractors are among the region’s best at helping our clients access the cost savings you deserve.

Reach our team at (940) 208-4300 to discover more actionable ways to get your HVAC system running better and lasting longer.

Did the above information help steer you toward increased energy efficiency and better savings? We want to know your thoughts. Leave us a comment below to let us know what’s working for you!