Page 69 - KHovanian Homes - Pathway to Homeownership

Section 9 | Home Care & Maintenance temperature throughout the house by increasing the cool airflow to the areas where you spend most of your time. Try partially closing a few vents in rooms that are rarely occupied. This will increase the cool airflow to the areas of your home where you spend most of your time. This same strategy works in the wintertime as well. Maintenance Guidelines • Putting large objects, like beds or dressers, in front of return air grills may cause your system to overwork as it cannot get enough airflow back into the system. Try to locate furniture and other large objects away from return air grills. • Vacuum supply and return registers to ensure they remain dust-free. • As we mentioned earlier your HVAC system is a whole house system, meaning it works best with all the vents open. You might hear that you can save money by completely shutting off vents to rooms that are unused or unoccupied. This is not true. To keep your system operating at peak performance keep all your vents at least partially open. HVAC - AIR FILTER Your heating system and air-conditioning system runs off the same air filter system. The air filter is located in the ceiling or wall of your home or at the unit itself. The filter helps reduce the flow of dust into the air. As the filter collects dust it reduces the system’s efficiency and must be either cleaned or replaced. The filter, or filters (you may have more than one), are designed to help keep the air in your home clean. At the Gold Key Orientation we demonstrated proper filter installation, cleaning, and replacement procedures. Air filter maintenance is your on going responsibility. Maintenance Guidelines • While construction is taking place in your neighborhood, we recommend that you replace the air filter every 30 days to help remove all the dust particles that are kicked up during construction. • Once construction has concluded in your neighborhood change your filter every 30 to 45 days. A good suggestion is to perform this task every time you pay your utility bill. • Dirty filters are one of the most common causes of an HVAC system shutting down. Make sure to check these at the specified intervals. • Finally, never operate either the air conditioning or heating system without an air filter. This can cause serious damage to either system. HVAC - VENTILATION Also see Condensation/Mold. Homes today are built tighter than ever. This construction saves energy dollars but creates a potential concern. Condensation, cooking odors, indoor pollutants, radon, and carbon monoxide may all accumulate. Because we provide passive methods for ventilating homes, your attention to ventilation is important to health and safety. Maintenance Guidelines • Building codes require attic and crawl space vents to minimize accumulation of moisture. Attic ventilation occurs through vents in the soffit, roof ridge, or on gable ends. Driving rain or snow sometimes enters the attic through the vents in the soffit. Do not cover the vents to prevent this from happening. Instead, cover the insulation in front of the vent. This allows precipitation that blows in safely to evaporate and ventilation can still occur. • Homes with crawl spaces usually include two or more vents. Open crawl space vents for summer months and close them for winter months by pulling insulation over them. Failure to close the vent and replace insulation may result in plumbing lines freezing in the crawl space. This occurrence is not covered by your warranty. Other ways to keep your home ventilated: • Donotcoverorinterfereinanywaywiththefreshair supply to your furnace. • Turn on the stove hood fan whenever cooking When bathing use the bathroom fan as well. If installed, use the fan in the laundry room when doing clothes. • Whenever possible air your home out by opening windows. This will help prevent excessive moisture from forming on the inside of your windows. Edition July 2019 | 51