Any home renovation project demands significant planning and effort – while it’s no secret that there are plenty of things to take into account prior to launching a project of such a grand scale, what many people may not know is that the HVAC system of a home can be damaged during and after remodeling. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect your system and avoid unnecessary Bay Area HVAC repair costs down the road.
Following are three critical things about HVAC systems all property owners need to consider before remodeling a home:
- Dust, Dirt, and Debris Can be Disastrous for Your HVAC
These particulates can easily infiltrate not only the ductwork of your heating, cooling, and ventilation system, but also its moving parts. They can clog your vents, registers, and air filters, as well. It’s recommended that the HVAC system be turned off while you work. In addition, you’ll want to cover all registers and vents to avoid the duct network becoming tainted with dust, dirt, and debris. After a renovation, always change your furnace filter.
Leaving your system on and registers open will leave dust and dirt to accumulate within the ducts; your home could develop unhealthy air quality, and your AC and furnace will have to work harder than normal to maintain the thermostat-set temperature. When this happens, you run a high risk of premature malfunction, not to mention a need for HVAC repair technicians to come out to survey the damage at a repair/replacement cost.
Many people inquire about having their air ducts cleaned; however, we at A-1 Guaranteed have found that it’s unnecessary and oftentimes can do more harm than good. Cleaning equipment can damage your system, incurring a larger expense for repairs for homeowners. The EPA does not recommend that ducts be cleaned routinely.
In fact, the EPA also states that no studies have found that dirty ducts lead to increased dust levels in the home; it also advises that duct cleaning is not proven to prevent health issues. (See our blog, “Why We Don’t Recommend Duct Cleaning” for more information on this.) Homeowners can clean the grates of registers with a vacuum, but don’t clean any further into the ducts than that to prevent damage to ductwork. Instead of duct cleaning, we recommend you call our experts to have your ducts inspected for tears or separations.
- Current Vents May Not Serve the Remodeled Home Appropriately
Any time the configuration of any structure is altered, the location, placement, and direction of vents often need to be adjusted in order to serve additional floor space. It’s important, however, that you don’t change configurations of ducts and vents yourself; it’s a job for the professionals at A-1 Guaranteed. Our HVAC experts in Solano will know exactly how to adjust everything to provide you with maximum comfort without sacrificing energy efficiency.
It’s best to consult our techs before beginning any renovation; we can look at the plans for your home as well as plans for the remodel, then schedule a service call to complete the task of reconfiguring ducts and vents. It’s important to call on our professionals for the task, because misplaced vents create a myriad of issues, one of which is uneven temperatures in the home.
- Dust and Debris Compromises Your HVAC System’s Moving Parts
If there’s one thing that’s more expensive and troublesome than damaged ductwork, it’s a damaged furnace or air conditioner. Exposure to dust and debris puts your system at risk of losing efficiency, malfunctioning, and altogether breaking down. In any renovation project, dust and dirt infiltrate the air and settle in every little tiny space in the home – and most of it you won’t even notice until it settles in on shelves, tables, and everything else. If it’s all over your floors, shelves, furniture, and counters, you can bet it’s not only on your furnace case, but also inside of it.
Dust that gets into your furnace blower or fan coil can create a precarious situation that will at the very least require a professional cleaning. At worst, it can cripple your unit’s ability to produce warm air in the winter and cool air in the summer. It will work overtime trying to achieve and maintain thermostat temperatures, costing you substantial extra money. This will also decrease the lifespan of your HVAC system, causing it to break down and require service prematurely. Contact an A-1 Guaranteed professional to take a look and perform a cleaning after your renovation is complete.
If you’re planning on remodeling your home, whether it’s just a room or an entire space, precautions must be taken to protect the most expensive and most valuable running system in your home. Considerations for your HVAC in Contra Costa are well worth the effort, and precautions taken can save you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in repairs and replacement work.
Contact our Napa HVAC technicians at A-1 Guaranteed to book an appointment before and after your remodeling project to ensure you don’t miss a beat in keeping your system and your home safe and clean.
