Heating is expensive, and air conditioning can be more so. Everyone who’s ever run a household (or who’s had parents trying to run a household) already knows that. What fewer people realize is that without regular cleaning sessions, running an HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, & Air Conditioning) system becomes much more expensive. Dust building up inside your HVAC doesn’t just cause bad air quality. It also forces your system to work harder and consume more energy for the same effect as a clean one.
Loss Of Efficiency To Duct Blockage
The only thing that should exist inside of an HVAC’s air ducts and vents is air. The interior of the system is designed to maximize airflow, which is why it’s all open spaces and smooth surfaces. When dust and dirt begin settling along these interior surfaces, it immediately starts adding friction to the system. Once you have a dirty surface area, it provides a rough substrate that even more dust sticks to, causing the layer to thicken. If it gets to the point where cobwebs or rust start showing up, a significant portion of the HVAC’s airflow might be blocked. To meet your heating and air conditioning demands, the fan has to work harder to push the same amount of air against these obstructions.
Filter Blockage Makes Things Worse
Aside from the duct and vent interiors themselves, the air passing through an HVAC passes through one or more filter screens. These are major weak points for the system because the spaces the air needs to pass through are very easy to block. HVAC cleaning includes filter care, which means opening up the wind tunnels that have been steadily shrinking as dust fills them. Aside from ruining your air quality, this filter blockage pushes back against the HVAC fan trying to circulate the air. The dirtier the filter, the more electricity it takes to get the air through. It’s all more and more effort for the fan, and over time that adds up to a lot of wasted energy you’re being billed for.
Loss Of Efficiency To Mechanical Impairment
Airflow obstruction is the first energy efficiency problem that a dirty HVAC causes. It isn’t the last. When the filters and vents get bad enough, dust starts backflowing into the fan mechanism itself. Dirt and intricate machinery are never a good combination. The buildup of dust (and moisture, which the dust eventually absorbs) in the HVAC motor creates friction, which takes even more energy to fight against. This raises the energy demands for normal HVAC performance on top of what the airflow obstruction causes on its own.
Why Cleaning Fremont HVACs Helps
An HVAC system that hasn’t been properly cleaned in a while can require up to 11% more energy than one that has. That’s eleven extra dollars of electricity for every hundred you’d normally spend. Once the fan mechanism starts being blocked, that number rises to 26%. You’re now paying one and a quarter times as much as you should be for heating and air conditioning.
Energy efficiency is just one aspect of HVAC performance that professional cleaning protects. Need some help getting the most out of your unit? Our team of Fremont HVAC cleaning technicians in your area can provide any assistance you need. Call anytime to get service.