Which activities comprise a preventive maintenance program to improve HVAC efficiency?

• A. Increase thermostat setpoints without maintenance
• B. Schedule filter changes, check refrigerant and coils, inspect belts, verify airflow, and monitor energy consumption
• C. Replace system every year
• D. Repaint exterior of equipment

Answer: (B)

Preventive maintenance for HVAC focuses on keeping systems clean, calibrated, and operating within design specifications to prevent efficiency loss. Regularly scheduling filter changes reduces airflow resistance and keeps the blower from overworking. Clean coils and a proper refrigerant charge maximize heat transfer and prevent unnecessary compressor strain. Inspecting belts ensures the drive system runs smoothly without slipping. Verifying airflow helps confirm that ducts and registers aren’t restricting movement and that the system isn’t working harder than necessary. Monitoring energy consumption can reveal subtle performance declines, allowing timely fixes before efficiency drops. Collectively, these tasks maintain optimal operating conditions and save energy over the life of the system. Increasing thermostat setpoints without maintenance may save energy temporarily but doesn’t address ongoing inefficiencies. Replacing the system every year is costly and outside the scope of preventive maintenance. Repainting the exterior has no impact on HVAC efficiency.