HVAC

HVAC is the collection of equipment that heats, cools, and ventilates your home. Depending on what you have, that might mean a furnace and central air conditioner sharing ductwork, a boiler running radiators, a heat pump handling both seasons, or window units supplementing a central system. The components work independently but share one outcome: keeping conditioned air moving where it needs to go.

Neglect tends to compound quietly. A clogged filter strains the blower; a dirty condenser coil reduces cooling capacity; sediment in a drain line backs up into the air handler. Most of what goes wrong is gradual, which means most of it is preventable. Staying current on the tasks below keeps efficiency up, extends equipment life, and reduces the chance that a minor issue becomes a failed system mid-July or mid-January.

Components

HVAC Tasks

Component	Task	Frequency
Air Conditioner	Clean AC condenser unit	Once a year, in spring
	Cover outdoor AC unit for winter	Once a year, in fall
	Flush AC condensate drain line	Once a year, in fall
	Schedule AC tune-up	Once a year, in spring
Boiler	Schedule boiler tune-up	Once a year, in fall
Exhaust Fans	Clean bathroom exhaust fans	Twice a year
Furnace	Replace HVAC filter	Every 3 months
Furnace	Schedule furnace tune-up	Once a year, in fall
Geothermal Heat Pump	Check geothermal loop antifreeze level and pressure	Once a year, in spring
	Clean geothermal loop pump strainer	Once a year, in spring
	Schedule geothermal heat pump tune-up	Once a year, in fall
Heat Pump	Clean outdoor heat pump unit	Once a year, in spring
	Clear snow and ice from outdoor heat pump unit	Once a year, in winter
	Schedule heat pump tune-up	Once a year, in fall
Humidifier	Replace humidifier water panel	Once a year, in fall
Hydronic Heat Pump	Bleed radiators or in-floor loops	Once a year, in fall
	Check hydronic system water pressure	Once a year, in fall
	Clean hydronic heat pump outdoor unit	Once a year, in spring
	Clear snow and ice from hydronic heat pump outdoor unit	Once a year, in winter
	Schedule hydronic heat pump tune-up	Once a year, in fall
Thermostat	Replace thermostat batteries	Once a year, in fall
Window/Wall AC Unit	Clean wall/window AC filter and coils	Once a year, in spring
General	Clean air ducts professionally	Every 3 years
General	Clean HVAC supply vents and registers	Every 3 months

Last updated 24 September 2026