While many homeowners often think about their HVAC unit and how to make it run more efficiently, renters might not think about it at all. If you are renting a home, townhome or apartment, you should definitely be armed with essential HVAC knowledge that can play in your favor. The last thing you want is to have to wait on your landlord to get around to sending out an HVAC technician during a 103 degree day because your unit broke down.
These few tips can not only keep you from having to wait on the actions of your landlord but can also improve the air quality and safety of your family.
Photographic Evidence
When you first move in to a new place, immediately take photos of all of the unit systems. If you have access to them, get a picture of your furnace, condenser, vents and ducts. This can save you a huge headache down the road if repairs are needed because you will have photographic evidence of the unit's condition when you moved in.
Check-Up
Along the lines of the move-in photos, you should make sure your HVAC system is working properly. Make sure air filters are clean and that any moving parts are well lubricated and functioning correctly. You may want to have an HVAC technician come out and give the system a tune up and make sure all gunk is removed. Many times, tenants will move into new places and not realize that the landlord hasn't had the systems cleaned in a few years. Think of it this way, do you want to be breathing in other people's gunk and bacteria? Probably not.
Routine
Make it a habit to clean various parts of your system during your routine cleaning. Vacuum all registers an vents to significantly reduce the dirt and debris mingling into what you and your family breathe in. Every month, change your air filter. Throw the old one away and, using a pen or marker, mark the date you installed the new filter. This can help you keep up a high level of air quality throughout your home. HVAC filters only run a few dollars and catch the running, jumping crud that accumulates in the air. If you hardly have your HVAC unit, you should be okay with changing it every three months.
Air Quality
The majority of everything we've been discussing so far has played a key role in improving the air quality inside your home. This is important because there are so many allergens, bacteria, dust and debris that float around in the atmosphere we breathe. Air filters, maintenance and cleaning routines are huge facilitators in making the air inside much safer for your family to be living in but there are a few other things you can do to further increase air quality. Open your windows when you can to allow fresh air in and stale air to circulate back out. Avoid scented candles and room sprays because they release microscopic particles that can affect one's health if regularly inhaled as well as increase vulnerability to chemical exposure. For similar reasons you should try to use only non-toxic cleaning products as well.
Gas Valve Caution
For any furnace that runs on natural gas, close your gas valve in the summer when you aren't heating your home. Natural gas poses a risk because it can leak from the unit and put you and your family in danger. As a renter, you may not be aware of the unit history or how often things have been tuned up and taken care of. If this is the case, you should err on the side of caution and make sure your gas valve is shut off during the warmer months.
These few tips may seem far too simple to improve air quality and safety but they are unbelievable crucial to maintaining an efficient and clean living environment. If you don't already have one, ask your landlord if he would consider installing a programmable thermostat. They run $100 or less and can save so much energy and money because they help control your home's temperature while you are at work or away. Even the smallest changes could not only make your home more comfortable but help save you and your landlord money.
As a tenant, your landlord has most likely indicated that he or she will handle all HVAC repairs or maintenance but the suggestions listed above are free or dirt cheap solutions that can make your family's home much more pleasant. The best advice is to have an HVAC technician check the system out when you move in. This way you can rest easy knowing that everything is clean and well-maintained for your family to use. Ask your landlord if they can schedule a check up and if they refuse, consider paying for one yourself. It will be the best money you have ever spent. Especially when your unit is running perfectly on the hottest day of the year and your neighbor's breaks down and turns their pad into an inferno.
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