Care all year round

The filter is the part you will handle most often. Furnace and HVAC filters clean the air only while the system is running. ENERGY STAR says to inspect, clean or change the filter in your furnace, central air conditioner or heat pump once a month. The Department of Energy says to clean or replace filters monthly during the seasons of heaviest use, which lowers heating and cooling bills and extends the equipment's life. If your filters clog, change them more often.

A filter also has to fit. Make sure no filters are missing and that air cannot slip past through gaps around the filter holder. The filter should fit snugly, without bending or crushing it to make it fit. The EPA says to use the highest efficiency filter the maker of your heating and cooling system recommends. You may need a professional HVAC technician to tell you the highest efficiency filter that works best for your system. A dirty filter can raise energy costs and damage your equipment, leading to early failure.

Source: U.S. EPA · ENERGY STAR · U.S. Department of Energy

How much moisture is in your air matters for comfort and for your house. The EPA says to keep indoor humidity between 30 and 50 percent. A moisture or humidity gauge, sold at most hardware stores, shows whether your home is at a good level. In cold winter weather, humidity needs to stay low to prevent condensation and damage to the house, and to discourage mold growth. Do not humidify above 50 percent, since higher levels may encourage the growth of living organisms in the home.

Signs of too much moisture are worth watching for. Condensation on windows can be a sign of high indoor humidity, which has many possible causes and should be looked into. When relative humidity is more than 50%, moisture problems may occur. In summer, a properly sized air conditioner or a stand-alone dehumidifier can lower indoor humidity.

Source: U.S. EPA · University of Minnesota Extension

Kitchen and bathroom fans remove moisture, odors and particles from your home. Bathroom fans help keep relative humidity down, which discourages condensation and the growth of mold, mildew and dust mites. Leave the range hood on for 10 to 20 minutes after you finish cooking.

A fan only helps if its air gets outside. The fan should be ducted to the outdoors, not into the attic, crawlspace, garage, floor spaces or wall cavities. Moisture from fans that blow into the attic or crawlspace can cause mold and damage the wood there. Simple care helps too: vacuum the fan cover and blades, and check that the end of the exhaust duct is not clogged with debris. The outside end should have a working damper, a hooded cap and a screen to keep out birds and pests.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy · U.S. EPA

A clothes dryer pushes a lot of warm, wet air, and that air has to leave the house. The Illinois Mechanical Code requires clothes dryers to be exhausted following the maker's instructions, with the exhaust carrying the moisture and any combustion products to the outside. The EPA advises venting moisture-producing appliances such as clothes dryers to the outside where possible. Dryers and exhaust fans can also pull air out of a home, which can make a water heater that vents by its own rising hot air backdraft. If your dryer takes longer to dry a load than it used to, or its vent cap outside does not open when it runs, have the vent looked at.

Source: UpCodes (code text) · U.S. EPA · U.S. Department of Energy

Your system moves air out through supply registers and pulls it back through return grilles. Correctly sized supply and return grilles help air move well through a home. Furniture or partitions that block supply or return registers can affect the air in your home and should be placed with airflow in mind. Poor airflow can lower efficiency, raise utility bills, leave the air damp, reduce comfort and shorten equipment life.

Ducts you can see are worth a glance as well. Disconnected or crushed ducts can restrict airflow so warm or cool air never reaches the room it is meant for. During dusty renovation work, seal off supply and return registers and do not run the system until the dust is cleaned up.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy · U.S. EPA · ENERGY STAR

Small things keep the system running. If your programmable thermostat uses batteries, change them each year; some will show when they need changing. Check thermostat settings so the system keeps you comfortable at home and saves energy while you are away.

Regular professional care pays back over time. Following a regular maintenance schedule can help cut heating and cooling costs by 10% or more and will extend the life of the equipment. In most cases, equipment shows signs of underperforming well before it needs an emergency replacement. A yearly visit is a chance to catch those signs early.

Source: U.S. EPA · ENERGY STAR · U.S. Department of Energy