Spring Cleaning Begins With Your HVAC | Columbia Heating & Cooling
Written by Columbia HVAC

Spring Cleaning Begins With Your HVAC

Spring has officially arrived in the PNW. The more frequent sun breaks may be shedding some light on the areas of your home that could use a good spring cleaning. Many homeowners forget to add a thorough cleaning of HVAC and its components to their spring cleaning checklist.

Why is it important to remember your HVAC? The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has recently stated that, “In the last several years, a growing body of scientific evidence has indicated that the air within homes and other buildings can be more seriously polluted than the outdoor air in even the largest and most industrialized cities.”

Making sure your HVAC and its components are clean and well-maintained will help keep your entire home clean by preventing dust, dirt, and harmful allergens from being spread room to room.

Spring Cleaning Checklist

Your HVAC needs some love, too! Here’s a breakdown of what to clean and where:

Whole Home

  • Air Return Vents: These vents help to transfer the air from your ducts into the rooms of your home. These can quickly gather dust and need to be cleaned regularly. Clean your return vents by either removing them or leaving them screwed into the walls. Use a vacuum to collect loose debris and try draping a cleaning rag over a butter knife to clean between the vents.
  • Floor Registers: Your floor register can catch all sorts of loose debris. To give them a deep clean, unscrew the vent from the floor and place it in soapy water to clean. Allow it to dry thoroughly before reinstalling the floor register.
  • HVAC Filters: Your HVAC filters should be replaced at least once every 3 months. Spring cleaning is a great time to replace your filters to prepare for the warmer weather ahead.

Bathroom

Clean your bathroom exhaust fans at least once a year. Keeping these fans clean will increase airflow and improve efficiency. Turn off the power, remove the cover off, and wash the fan blades with soapy water.

Kitchen

If your kitchen range includes an exhaust system, be sure to clean and maintain the components at least once a year. Grease and grime can build up over time and reduce efficiency. Turn off the power or unplug the fan, clean the mesh filter with boiling water and ammonia, then clean the fan housing and blades.

Outdoors

Take the time to address your outside HVAC components. Make sure your air conditioner’s exterior condenser unit is cleared of any blockages, such as yard debris and vegetation. Turn off the unit’s power and use a vacuum with a soft brush attachment to carefully clean out the air conditioner’s fins.

Schedule a Professional HVAC Cleaning

Call in the professionals at Columbia Heating & Cooling. Our HVAC experts are able to perform routine maintenance just in time for spring and summer. We will also make sure your systems’ components are free of dirt and debris. Too much buildup can cause your HVAC to underperform and be less efficient. We’re currently offering discounts on furnace, A/C and combo tune-ups. Give us a call today to schedule your spring maintenance!