Could Your Landscaping Be Causing Your HVAC Problems?
If you're having problems with your heating and air conditioning system, your landscaping could actually be the issue. Before you call the air conditioning service, consider checking outside. You should have an HVAC unit somewhere either alongside your home or in the back of it.
Check Around the Unit for Growth
Sometimes, small trees and weeds can start to grow around your unit, which will prevent air flow. When your unit can't push air through itself effectively, it isn't going to be able to heat and cool. If there are trees, they should be removed by the root. Otherwise, they will just grow back. Weeds can be treated with a regular application of weed killer when you're doing your regular landscaping.
Clean Out Dirt and Dust
Because HVAC systems are constantly blowing out warm air, they have a tendency to kill the grass around them. This eventually leads to dirt and dust accumulating inside of them, sometimes turning into mud as it rains. If your HVAC is dirty, you can spray it out with a hose to make it more effective and efficient. Do not use high pressure or a pressure washer, as this can damage the delicate tines inside of the system.
Remove Any Leaves
During fall, it's common for leaves to be able to infiltrate an HVAC system, which can present exactly the same problem as dirt. Clear out any leaves early on. Most HVAC systems have an external cage that can be removed, and there may be leaves inside of this cage. If you can't easily open your HVAC unit, call a professional: otherwise you could damage the protective exterior of the unit.
Look for Any Damage
Broken tree limbs, in particular, can slam against an HVAC system and bend the tines that direct air flow. If that has happened to your system, you can straighten this with a tool that's specifically made to straighten HVAC system tines. This is a commercial tool that looks very similar to a large metal comb. You can call your local air conditioning company to purchase one or to schedule a servicing.
HVAC units can be temperamental. If you can't figure out why yours isn't functioning, call an air conditioning repair service. They can offer you a consultation and let you know if there are any parts that they need to order or if the repair might actually be a fairly simple and fast one.
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