Perhaps one of the best modern comforts available today are HVAC units, which help regulate our temperature and comfort level. It’s part of the world’s war with the weather — people have been trying to control the temperature of their surroundings for thousands of years. Indeed, in the third century, a Roman emperor sent 1,000 of his slaves to the mountains to bring back snow! With a residential HVAC, there’s no more shivering in extreme cold or sweating in the heat of summer. HVAC units can also help manage allergies better and ventilate a room properly. In short, they help make our lives way more comfortable. You can extend their lifespan with good maintenance and care.
What Exactly is an HVAC Unit?
HVAC actually is an acronym for “heating, ventilation, and air conditioning.” These units let us have optimal air quality by controlling how our homes are ventilated and what the temperature stays at. For a residential HVAC system, you can usually find one outside a home or on the roof of an apartment building. They look like a large box and are responsible for things like central heating, air conditioning, and better ventilation.
Air conditioning is perhaps one of the best known features of an HVAC system. The first iteration of the modern air conditioner was created in 1902 by Willis Carrier for a Brooklyn publishing company! Their popularity really took off during the Great Depression, when movie theatres attracted larger audiences by offering air conditioning during the movies. By 1980, the United States was a leading consumer of air conditioning — in fact, despite having only 5% of the total world population, it used more air conditioning than all the other countries combined! Today, it’s common to see air conditioning units in almost every home in America.
Air quality specialists may suggest you get an HVAC unit for the ventilation, which can help filter out dirt, debris, allergens, and more. It can also help purify your air for a better air quality in your home. If you live in a particularly smoggy or industrial area, this can be especially important for children and the elderly.
How Can I Best Extend My Air Conditioner’s Lifespan?
If you have an HVAC system, you want to make sure you’re replacing the HVAC air filters, to keep them from being clogged with dirt and debris. The same thing goes if you have an independent air conditioning unit. The air conditioner evaporator coil also can be easily clogged with dirt, debris, and mold which raises energy usage costs and lower performance, so you want to make sure that’s being cleaned or replaced as needed. Clean your air conditioner at the beginning and end of every season that you use it. Additionally, having a trustworthy air conditioning service at your disposal is essential to keeping your air conditioner well maintained and clean. This is especially important if you or someone in your family suffers from asthma — a properly working AC unit can help reduce irritants.
Know how to best care for your residential HVAC system to benefit from optimal air quality and comfort of living!