When spring arrives, you might find yourself engaged in some extreme house cleaning. Many people choose to clean their homes during the spring season, as the air is fresher and you can finally throw open your windows and doors and enjoy the warm weather.

If you are about to do some spring cleaning, it’s really important that you remember your heating and cooling system. These vital systems are often neglected by many of us during the spring cleaning season, but if they are not taken care of, especially in spring, they might not work properly when you actually need them. Here are some tips for maintaining your heating and cooling system in the spring.

Call for an HVAC Specialist
While you should perform quick visual checks of all major HVAC appliances (furnaces, outdoor air conditioners, vents, etc), don’t attempt to make any major repairs or inspections without professional help. Call your local HVAC company as soon as possible to set up a time for them to stop by and check your heating and cooling system. HVAC service contractors will be able to tell you specifically if there’s anything that needs to be changed or updated.Heating and cooling specialists are professionally trained and know what to look for, so they’ll be able to catch anything you might have missed during your visual inspection. In general, air conditioners should be inspected twice per year, but older appliances should also get some special attention. For instance, if furnaces are more than 10-years-old, it’s a good idea to have them inspected annually.

Replace Batteries in Your Alarms and Make Sure They’re Working
If there is an issue with your furnace you recently discovered, but haven’t had the chance to have a specialist come out for furnace repair, make sure all of your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors have working batteries in them. Even if the problem isn’t something that needs to be fixed within the next 24 hours, it’s still important to make sure that all alarms are in working order. If something were to happen to your HVAC system and your alarms were without batteries, there are so many issues that could occur.

Make Sure Leaks Are Sealed
Because it’s the spring, you don’t need to make sure your windows and doors are fully sealed, right? Wrong. Any leak in your doors or windows is going to cost you money, no matter what season it is. Plus, the freezing temperatures of winter can cause houses to settle or warp, opening up new leaks as the spring thaw settles in. Use caulk and weatherstripping to prevent any air or heat from leaking out of your home. This will ultimately help your heating and cooling units and save you a ton of money on your bills.

When you begin to spring clean during the upcoming season, don’t forget to think about your heating and cooling systems as well. They need love too, no matter what time of the year it is.