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HVAC maintenance

Most of the failures covered elsewhere on this site trace back to something in this section: a filter, a missed tune-up. Or a part left to wear well past when it should have been checked.

The maintenance that actually prevents failures

Filters and seasonal tune-ups are the two things most within a homeowner's control, and they are also the two things most consistently skipped. This section covers what each one actually involves, and where the line sits between what you can do yourself and what needs a licensed technician's tools and training.

Maintenance guides

Tune-up What an HVAC tune-up actually checks

The furnace side, the AC side, and the handful of tasks reasonable to do yourself between visits.

Noises Common HVAC noises and what they mean

Bangs, hisses, squeals and hums each point somewhere different. And four of them mean stop rather than troubleshoot.

Licensing HVAC licensing and permits: the three things that are not the same

There is no national HVAC license: one federal certification, a state or local license, and a permit for the job.

Inspection HVAC inspection checklist: what to look at yourself

A five-minute walk-around anyone can do, and what a real estate inspector actually checks that's different.

Sources

What this page explains is based on these official sources. If you check one and it does not match what you read here, send it to us and the article gets corrected.

US EPA. Section 608 Technician Certification
US EPA. Section 608 of the Clean Air Act