There's no bad time for a home remodel, and renovations and other home remodel projects go on all year round. But especially in Olathe, where the seasons can be pretty extreme, summer and autumn are popular times for home remodel projects because the weather allows you to work on both interior and exterior projects. If you're embarking on a home remodel this summer or fall, it's a good idea to take a few simple precautions to help protect your HVAC system. Here are a few tips from an experienced Olathe heating and cooling professional:
Especially if you're working on an interior room at a time when your air conditioner or furnace may be running, it's important to take steps to keep dust, sawdust, and other particulate matter out of your HVAC system. Sawdust and other debris that are kicked up by remodeling projects can not only impact your air quality, but can actually affect your ductwork, blower, and overall system efficiency. While a clean filter can help strain much of the particulate matter out of the air, overworking your HVAC system and clogging your filter with a lot of dust or debris in a short time is definitely not ideal.
After all, there's a reason we wear safety masks when we're sanding or cutting lumber, scraping away old paint, performing drywall work, and so on. We don't want all that dust and sawdust getting into our lungs. Ultimately, your house is the same way. Allowing dust that gets kicked up by demolition or home remodel work to get into your HVAC system is a lot like breathing it into your lungs. This is particularly important to keep in mind if you have family members (especially children) who suffer from asthma or other respiratory conditions.
So, what are a few things you can do to help protect your HVAC system during your next home remodel?
- Change your HVAC filter before the project begins so that it's ready to catch the largest possible amount of particulate matter while still running efficiently.
- Where possible, try to avoid running your HVAC system while work is being done, and close off all registers in the area where you're working, especially intake vents or wall air returns.
- Take down any drapes, curtains, or cloth wall hangings that might collect dust and release it back into the air later. It's also a good idea to hire a carpet cleaning service to really deep-clean carpets and rugs once the work is done.
- Whenever possible, cut and sand outside in the garage to keep dust and debris out of the house. You can also use a shop vac to help capture dust while you're working, or to clean off your power tools when you're done. You can use plastic to help isolate construction areas and keep dust and debris from spreading.
- Change your HVAC filter again once work is complete so that you're starting with a clean slate. You may also want to have an Olathe heating and cooling professional inspect your HVAC system—including your blower, ductwork, and indoor coil—to ensure that they're in good shape.
Whether you just finished a home remodel or are thinking of starting one, an inspection from an Olathe heating and cooling service company can help keep your HVAC system running smoothly all year long. Davenport Service Company is proud to provide "Customer First" HVAC service to Olathe and the surrounding area, just like we've been doing for more than thirty years. So, give us a call at 913-441-2222 today!