How to Protect Your HVAC System During a Home Renovation
Home renovations can be incredibly exciting and fun – but they also create quite a lot of mess.
Protecting your HVAC system during a home renovation is incredibly important. The last thing you need after surviving a home renovation is another thing on your to-do list.
Renovations can be quite expensive, so damaging your HVAC system and having to buy a new one or pay to get your old one repaired is not an extra expense you want to find on your tab.
To prevent unwanted stress and unexpected expenditure, take a look at our 6 ways you can protect your HVAC system during a home renovation.
1. Make a plan of action
The first step to securing your HVAC system’s safety during a construction project is to create a plan.
Before you start your renovation process, it’s important to get the advice of a professional HVAC technician so that everything runs as smoothly as possible.
Have an open conversation about how best to protect your HVAC unit.
Ask your technician questions like:
- Will you have to change your duct placement for the renovation?
- Will you need to upgrade your HVAC system to serve your newly remodeled home?
This way, you’ll be prepared for any additional costs to your renovation. Your technician will also be aware of work completed for your next maintenance check, so you will know to look out for any renovation-specific wear and tear.
2. Cover all your vents
Remodeling is a messy process.
Dust and debris get everywhere and are often kicked up into the air, where it can get sucked into your HVAC system – causing a lot of damage that’s expensive to fix.
To protect your HVAC system, cover all the vents in the construction area. Covering the vents will keep your filters clean and reduce the amount of dust that gets trapped in your unit. When you turn your filter on these closed vents, keep in mind will restrict airflow and need to be reopened.
You should consider switching your HVAC system off completely while the work is being done, especially because of the covered vents. The covered vents do protect the system from being infiltrated by dust, but they can also put a lot of strain on your system.
3. Clean as often as possible
Something you probably didn’t realize before you start your remodeling project is that you’re going to have to start cleaning your home a lot more over the course of the project.
You might think that cleaning your home during a remodel is a waste of time: the house is just going to get dusty again the next day! But cleaning regularly helps prevent dust build up in your air filters.
Cleaning away dust and vacuuming every couple of days will reduce the amount of dust getting trapped in your filters. It’ll also help reduce the number of clogs you get in your HVAC unit.
4. Keep checking your air filters
Make sure you keep your air filters clean so they don’t clog up. Clogged air filters reduce the amount of air intake and output, and they also put a lot of strain on your system. This strain could cause your system to overwork itself and break down.
You should already be checking your air filters regularly, but now, you should check it every other day to make sure there isn’t a build-up of dust during your renovation. Don’t forget to replace your air filter if you think it’s a bit too dirty.
5. Purify the airflow
When renovating your house, all sorts of material are cut and sanded in your home, which means all sorts of dust particles are floating around your air space. These particles can be quite harmful when inhaled in large amounts.
Installing an advanced air purifier can help eliminate all these dangerous and unwanted particles. Not only will an air purifier help save your lungs, but it’ll also help keep the dust particles out of your HVAC unit as well.
6. Do all the messy jobs outside
The simplest way to keep all the dust and debris to a minimum is to just not do the messy work inside your home – weather permitting.
Keep all the cutting and sanding jobs outside to help reduce the potential dust being brought into your home and keep it out of your HVAC equipment.