The Inside Scoop on Spring HVAC Maintenance

If you’ve ever had the misfortune of needing costly HVAC repairs, then you probably understand the benefit of twice a year maintenance for your HVAC system. But unless someone told you you needed it, you might not realize how much wear and tear your HVAC system endures if you don’t. At Bosque, we always recommend twice a year maintenance visits. One should take place in the fall, and the other in the spring. Spring HVAC maintenance in Albuquerque is an essential service, even though not everyone realizes it!

What Happens at a Spring Maintenance Visit | Refrigerated Air

It’s definitely that time of year where if you haven’t already done so, you’re ready to switch on that AC! And of course, that’s not hard to do when you have refrigerated air—just turn the thermostat onto cool instead of heat. But spring is a perfect time to have a spring maintenance appointment for your HVAC system because you probably won’t think about your furnace again until the fall.

When one of our techs comes out for a spring maintenance visit, they’ll do the following things to make sure your furnace is safe and sound until next season. Plus, they make sure your AC is ready to keep you cool all summer!

Team Member To-Do List:

• First, our team member will want to hear from you how the furnace did throughout the winter. Are there any concerns we should address? 
• We’ll clean the coils so they are clear of any buildup. 
• Then we clean out the exterior of the condenser unit of any leaves, cottonwood seeds, and any other debris that builds up throughout the year.
• Next, we cycle the AC system and check to see the change in what’s coming out of the supply duct and the air going back into the return ducts.
• We make sure to test electrical connections and look for burn marks to make sure there are no shorts.
• Our team member will also suggest any parts repairs they see fit to keep your AC running optimally all summer.

After a spring maintenance visit, you’ll have the peace of mind that comes with knowing your AC is going to keep you cool all summer. And you can be sure that your furnace will be there for you when you need it again in the fall.

What Happens at a Spring Maintenance Visit | Swamp Cooler

Spring maintenance visits are often more popular with folks who have a swamp cooler because the swamp cooler actually needs to be reconnected and turned on each spring. Here’s what the to-do list looks like when our team goes out for a spring maintenance visit for a home with a swamp cooler.

Team Member To-Do List:

• First, we want to know how the furnace worked over the winter. Any red flags or trouble? We want to know about it so we can look into it and make sure you’re good to go in the fall.
• The team member will shut off the power and the gas to the furnace and insert the damper into the furnace to block it off.
• We’ll perform the same level of maintenance on the furnace as with refrigerated air, cleaning any of the parts that collect buildup throughout the winter.
• Then we’ll disassemble the swamp cooler and clean it thoroughly. 
• Our team member will clean or replace the pads as needed and make sure they aren’t calcified. This is very important because calcified pads can’t absorb water, which could result in water in your duct system.
• We’ll also make sure the motor and the float are still good and will replace the float if necessary.
• Lastly, we make sure you know how to properly use the swamp cooler. It’s essential to keep the windows open to release the pressure so you don’t burn out the motor.

Spring maintenance visits for homes with a swamp cooler are definitely more involved. But, they’re very important for air quality and comfort in the home as the days get hotter and hotter.

Are HVAC Maintenance Visits Really Worth It?

One thing we run into is that many people aren’t aware of how important regular HVAC maintenance is. As we shared in a past blog post, our co-owner Carlos Griego explained, 

“Life expectancy of a furnace is anywhere from 12 to 15 years with regular maintenance. It’s no different than your car. Just because you buy a car with a 100,000-mile warranty on it—if you never change the oil, the warranty doesn’t apply. So if you have a furnace you’ve never maintained before in your life do you think you will get 12 to 15 years out of it? Probably not.”

You have to take care of your furnace, your air conditioner, or your swamp cooler to get the expected lifespan out of them.

When it comes to changing over a swamp cooler, sure, you may be able to switch over the damper on your own. But are you really going to take the time and attention to detail to make sure all the parts are clean and still in good shape? And if the swamp cooler is on the roof, some homeowners might not be comfortable getting up there.

Even if you have refrigerated air, the attention to detail that we pay to every part of your furnace and AC during a maintenance visit is just not going to happen unless you’ve been trained.

But the biggest reason you should care about maintenance visits is that most of our repair calls are things that could have been prevented with regular maintenance. Replace a part before it’s too late and then you’re just dealing with the cost of a part—not the additional domino effect issues and the discomfort of having your AC out for a while.

Contact Bosque Heating, Cooling & Plumbing Today

It’s not too late to schedule your spring maintenance appointment, or if you’ve already switched your swamp cooler over, make sure to pencil in an appointment for the fall so you can get into the habit then!

Also, if you haven’t guessed yet, take a moment to guess the day and time of the first 100-degree day before we get there—we’re getting close!