New Homeowner HVAC Checklist: 8 Things to Find First

Start by finding every piece of equipment. Many homes have more than one. Look in the basement, garage, attic, crawlspace, and hall closets.

Here's what you might find:

The filter is usually in a slot at the furnace or air handler, or behind a return grille in a wall or ceiling. Some homes have more than one. The size is printed on the filter's frame. Write it down or take a photo, and note which way the airflow arrow points.

ENERGY STAR suggests checking the filter every month, especially in winter and summer. Change it if it looks dirty, and at least every 3 months. Ductless indoor heads usually have their own filters behind the front panel.

Look for the data plate, a label on the side of each unit. It lists the model and serial number, and sometimes a manufacture date. Take a clear photo of each one. The serial number often encodes the build date, even when no date is printed.

ENERGY STAR says that if your equipment is more than 10 years old, or not keeping your house comfortable, have a professional evaluate it. That's a check, not a verdict. Plenty of older systems still run well.

Learn 3 things: the mode, the fan setting, and the schedule. Mode is usually Heat, Cool, Auto, or Off. Fan is usually Auto or On; Auto runs the fan only when the system heats or cools.

If you have a heat pump, you may see "Aux" or "Em heat." Those are backup heat settings. Leave emergency heat off unless the heat pump itself has a problem.

Thinking about a smart thermostat? ENERGY STAR says to make sure it's compatible with your heating and cooling system before you buy.

Find the power switch, the breaker, and the gas shutoff before you need them. The power switch is often near the furnace or air handler and looks like a light switch. The breakers are in your electrical panel. Check that they're labeled.

For gas, just know where the shutoff is. NW Natural says leaving your home comes first if you smell gas. It also says that in a natural disaster it's OK to turn off your gas meter, if you feel safe enough to do so. Don't turn it back on yourself. Call the utility to check it.

Check that you do, and test them. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas, so you can't see or smell it. The EPA lists leaking furnaces and back-drafting from furnaces and gas water heaters among its sources.

The EPA's page notes that federal safety regulators recommend CO alarms on each level of the home, outside each sleeping area. They also urge a yearly professional inspection of fuel-burning equipment, like furnaces and water heaters. Press the test button on each alarm, and follow the maker's instructions on when to replace it.

Ask for anything that shows the system's history. Even a few receipts help a technician understand what's been done.

No, not automatically. An inspector's "end of life" note usually refers to the system's age, not a confirmed failure. It's a reason to have a technician check the real condition.

ENERGY STAR also points out that big air leaks and duct problems are sometimes the real cause of comfort issues, not the equipment. Those are worth checking before any replacement.

We work repair-first. A technician finds the root cause and explains what's wrong and what it takes to fix it. If replacing makes more sense, we say so and show why. You decide.