Your furnace and air conditioning unit are designed to be quite sturdy, but they aren’t designed to run forever. Both your air conditioner and your furnace (along with your blower) are in the business of changing the temperature of air and moving this air throughout your home. With that much air, it’s unsurprising that dust and grime begin to build up over time. The more dust and grime you have, the harder your air conditioner, furnace, and blower will have to work to do their job. Too much dirt and they’ll stop working. In other words, if you want your air conditioner and furnace to run for a long time, you need to do a little bit of maintenance work on them. Take a look at that air conditioner. Some of the coils are blocked with gunk. It’s simply not running as efficiently as it should, which means the unit has to work harder to cool the home. If it’s overworked, it’s also more likely to break down. How can you fix that? Cleaning your external air conditioning unit is actually pretty easy.

Just stop by your local HVAC supply shop and buy some cleaning solution (one jug of it will be enough for quite a few cleanings). Go home, cut the power to your AC unit using the breaker box, then wet down the coils on your unit with a garden hose. Using gloves and safety glasses, spray on some of the cleaning solution, let it sit for a while, then spray the coils down again with a garden hose to wash away both the grime and the cleaning solution. Wait a bit longer, then flip the power back on. It’ll look like new and run more efficiently, too. What other steps can you take? Make sure you change the filter in your blower on a regular basis. Go down to your basement (or wherever your blower is located) and check the filter in your blower unit. If you’re not sure when you last changed it, it’s probably time to change it. Mark down the size of your filter, then head to your local hardware store and pick up a replacement filter. Swapping the filter is easy, but the important step is to note the lifetime of your new filter and mark on your calendar when you need to change the filter.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can clean the blower as well. The blower is a giant fan usually found next to the filter. Turn off the breaker and remove the cover on the blower unit. Most of the time, these just unplug like a normal fan. Unplug it, then use a brush to clean off the blades and a vacuum cleaner to clean the area around the blower unit. Plug it back in, put it back in place, put the cover back on, and flip the breaker again. You’ll have more efficient air flow, which means a lower energy bill. There are other regular maintenance steps well worth taking for your furnace and air conditioner, but they usually require additional equipment (like a high-powered vacuum) and can cause damage if done incorrectly, so you’re better off having an expert handle them. The end result of these tasks is a more efficient heating and cooling system in your home. It will run less, which means a smaller energy bill for you, and it also extends the life of your air conditioner, furnace, and blower system, meaning you save long-term on replacement costs.

This post is part of a yearlong series called “365 Ways to Live Cheap (Revisited),” in which I’m revisiting the entries from my book “365 Ways to Live Cheap,” which is available at Amazon and at bookstores everywhere. Images courtesy of Brittany Lynne Photography, the proprietor of which is my “photography intern” for this project.ac unit lines How Long Should It Last?best prices on window ac unitsWhen something technical or mechanical breaks, you’re at the mercy of the expert’s advice to figure out what’s wrong and what you need to do to fix it. install central ac unit homeWho hasn’t had that feeling with a car mechanic when your car breaks down? But we’re betting you feel the same way if your air conditioner stopped blowing cold air and a contractor told you that it needs a refrigerant charge.

You wonder, “Do I REALLY need a refrigerant / Freon charge, or am I being ripped off?” It’s a good question! There’s nothing wrong with a healthy dose of skepticism when your money is on the line. Here are 2 signs an A/C contractor may be trying to scam you and charge you for refrigerant when you might not really need it. Imagine this scenario: You’re sick, go to the doctor and tell him your symptoms. The doctor looks you up and down and says, “Aha, all you need is surgery!” No tests, just a quick solution. Sounds silly, but that is what some air conditioning contractors will do. They’ll hear the “symptoms” (air conditioner is blowing hot air) and recommends a refrigerant charge without actually checking to see if that’s the case. This may have some nasty consequences for you: What else could the problem be? Well, there are several things that could cause your home’s air conditioner to stop blowing cold air, including: A contractor needs to use special equipment to check the refrigerant levels before recommending that you need a refrigerant charge.

OK, so the contractor has actually checked the refrigerant levels. But you still may be getting ripped off if... Refrigerant isn’t like gas in a car; it’s not “used up”. Refrigerant flows between the inside and outside unit going from a liquid and a gas over and over again in what’s called a “self contained system”. If you’re actually low on refrigerant, then there’s most likely a leak somewhere in your system where the refrigerant is escaping. If there’s no mention of finding a leak, then that means a couple things: If it’s a major leak on a condenser or evaporator coil, repairing your A/C may be expensive. And if the air conditioner is old, then replacing your air conditioner may be the most cost efficient option. Do you think you need more refrigerant, and you live in the Phoenix-area? Contact George Brazil, and we’ll examine your home’s A/C, find the real problem and make sure to fix it right the first time! Travel Rewards Credit Cards

Cash Back Credit Cards 0% Balance Transfer Credit Cards Ain't it the truth that appliances have a funny way of breaking at the worst possible times? Your refrigerator stops running as soon as you fill it with a couple weeks' worth of groceries, or your central air conditioning bites the big one during a heat wave in July. All is not always lost, however. In many cases, the appliance can be fixed. For a couple hundred bucks you might be able to squeeze a few extra years out of it. Alas, nothing lasts forever – and knowing the life expectancy of home appliances gives you an idea of when you should start saving for a replacement. Let's break down a few of the big ones. See also: How to Save Money on Appliances Any Time of the Year Your refrigerator might be the most expensive appliance in your kitchen. You can spend under $1,000 for a refrigerator on the low end, or up to several thousands of dollars if you get a fancy model with all the bells and whistles.

See also: Make Your Fridge Last (Almost) Forever with These 8 Tips If you paid a pretty penny for your fridge, naturally you'll want to squeeze as much life out of this appliance as possible. Typically, refrigerators have a lifespan up to 15 years, according to Angie's List, a consumer rating service. Start looking for a replacement if your model is nearing (or already passed) the 15-year mark. This way, you avoid the refrigerator dying unexpectedly. And since refrigerators use a lot of energy, buying a more energy efficient model can save you money over time. See also: Best 5 Refrigerators To test the efficiency of your fridge, put a thermometer inside and close the door for about five minutes. If the temperature inside the fridge is higher than 45 degrees after five minutes, the fridge could be on its last leg. Don't wait until your stove burners or oven stops working to think about buying a new stove. On average, you can get between 10 and 15 years out of a range/oven.

Common problems with this appliance involve igniter failure and problems with the control board or bake element. If you have running sink water and dish soap, replacing your dishwasher might not be an urgent need. On the other hand, you probably can't imagine going a day without a dishwasher if you absolutely hate washing dishes by hand. (Like I do; totally makes me gag.) See also: Make Your Dishwasher Last (Almost) Forever With These 6 Tricks To avoid any surprises, expect to replace your dishwasher every eight to 10 years. The good news, however, is that dishwashers are relatively inexpensive. You can find models starting around $400. Start shopping around if you hear loud, banging noise coming from the dishwasher, or if the dishwasher no longer cleans your dishes despite maintenance. Don't discount, though, that you may be able to fix some issues yourself — like I did when my dishwasher wouldn't spray water — when I looked up a DIY tutorial on YouTube. Huge time and money saver.

(See also: Best 5 Dishwashers) With your packed schedule, you don't have time to plan weekly visits to the laundromat. It's time-consuming and inconvenient, and it's a good idea to replace your washer or dryer before it stops working. See also: Best 5 Washing Machines and 5 Best Dryers According to Angie's List, both appliances have an average lifespan of eight to 12 years. You can extend the life of your dryer by regularly cleaning your lint trap. Additionally, clean your washer and dryer hoses, heating element, and dryer ducts at least once a year. Properly maintaining your dryer not only extends its life, it also reduces the chance of a dryer fire. This can happen when lint accumulates on the heating element or in the ducts. You should be able to get about seven to 10 years out of a hot water heater. To get the most use, drain about a quarter of water from the tank every three months. This little trick helps remove sediment from the tank, which forms from minerals in the water.

Removing sediment allows water in the tank to heat up faster, making the tank more efficient. Your air-conditioning and heating system is responsible for maintaining a comfortable temperature inside your home. It uses a lot of energy and it might work around the clock depending on the season – so naturally, you shouldn't expect the system to last the lifetime of the home. On average, you should replace an HVAC system every 15 to 20 years. You can extend the lifespan of your system with preventive maintenance. Getting your unit professionally serviced at least once a year helps identify problems early and keeps the unit working at its best. To help reduce some of the cost with maintaining an HVAC system (and other appliances in your home), consider a home warranty. A warranty protects your pocket against unexpected repairs. For a flat service call fee, the warranty company will repair a covered item, or replace it if unable to fix due to normal wear and tear. Have you had to replace appliances?