If you want a more comfortable home and a heating and cooling system that runs more efficiently, a few practical adjustments can help. Some fixes are simple DIY maintenance tasks, while persistent airflow problems or uneven room temperatures may point to a larger issue that needs professional evaluation.
Below, we’ve outlined five ways to take care of your heating and cooling system and help it run more efficiently.
To maximize the effectiveness of your heating and cooling systems, you need to program your thermostat and refrain from changing it. Adjusting the thermostat makes your system work harder.
The best way to avoid tempting temperature changes is to choose a thermostat that fits your schedule, such as one with 7-day, 5-1-1, 5-2 or 1-week programming options.
Related: How to reduce heating expenses?
Even though your air filter catches most dust, over time debris can build up. The accumulation of dirt can restrict airflow throughout your ducts and even start blowing particles out of your registers.
Check inside the ducts and if there is any mold, dead insects, rodent feces or a thick layer of dust, then consider hiring a professional to do a deep cleaning.
Ceiling fans can help with heating and cooling by distributing the flow of air throughout your home. Most fans are reversible, which means they can push air down in summer to create a nice breeze and pull air up in winter to aid in circulating the heat. To change the direction of the fan’s rotation, look for a switch on its base.
It’s standard to change your air filter every 90 days. However, you should take a peek at it every month. If it looks grimy and clogged, then go ahead and change it.
Also, consider investing in high-efficiency pleated filters. They have an electrostatic charge that grabs onto even the smallest dirt specks.
If one room in your house is always warmer or colder than the rest of your home, it might not be your HVAC system. It could be the ductwork. The twists and turns of air ducts, especially in older homes, can reduce airflow.
Booster fans are easy to install and do exactly what their name implies. They boost the flow of air to the part of your home in need of more heating or cooling.
If you’re dealing with uneven room temperatures, start with the basics: check for a dirty filter, make sure vents and registers are fully open and not blocked by furniture, and see whether a ceiling fan or booster fan improves comfort in the problem area. If those simple fixes do not help, or if airflow stays weak, filters get dirty unusually fast, multiple rooms are affected, or the issue seems tied to duct layout or insulation, it may be time to have an HVAC technician inspect the system. Persistent comfort problems often point to a larger airflow, duct, or home-efficiency issue that DIY maintenance alone will not solve.
Sammamish Mortgage can help. We serve clients across Washington, Idaho, Colorado, Oregon, and California. Since 1992, we’ve been providing several mortgage programs and products with flexible qualification criteria to borrowers across the Pacific Northwest. Visit our website to get an instant rate quote or to use our online mortgage calculator. Or, reach out to us if you are ready to get pre-approved for a mortgage.
A good starting point is to use a programmable thermostat, keep up with routine filter changes, make sure vents are open and unblocked, use ceiling fans to improve air circulation, and address airflow issues in problem rooms. If comfort problems continue after basic maintenance, a professional HVAC inspection may be needed.
A thermostat that fits your schedule can help your heating and cooling system work more effectively. Consistent settings are important because frequent manual adjustments can make the system work harder.
Ceiling fans can help improve comfort by moving air more effectively through the home. In summer, they can push air down to create a breeze, and in winter, many reversible fans can help circulate warm air.
A standard guideline is every 90 days, but the filter should still be checked monthly. If it looks dirty or clogged before then, it should be replaced sooner.
Duct cleaning may be worth considering when there is visible mold, dead insects, rodent feces, or a heavy buildup of dust inside the ductwork. Those conditions are a better reason to call a professional than routine light dust alone.
Uneven room temperatures can be caused by restricted airflow, blocked vents, a dirty filter, or ductwork that does not deliver enough air to that part of the home. In some homes, the layout, length, or condition of the ducts can also reduce airflow to certain rooms.
Start with simple fixes such as checking whether the air filter is dirty, making sure vents and registers are fully open, and removing any furniture or other items that block airflow. A ceiling fan or booster fan may also improve comfort in that room.
Yes. Booster fans are designed to increase airflow to rooms that do not get enough heating or cooling, which can help if one area of the home is consistently warmer or colder than the rest.
Constantly changing the thermostat is not ideal because it can make the system work harder. It is usually better to program the thermostat around your schedule and then look for airflow or maintenance issues if comfort problems continue.
Professional help may be needed if airflow stays weak after basic maintenance, filters get dirty unusually fast, several rooms are affected, or the problem appears related to duct layout or insulation. Ongoing comfort issues often point to a larger airflow, duct, or home-efficiency problem that simple DIY steps will not solve.
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