One of the trickiest things about owning a beach property is ensuring that it is well cared for during times when you are away. Property management companies go a long way in helping, but there are still some routine upkeep and maintenance items that probably fall to you as the property owner. One of the most important upkeep services is heating and air conditioning.
Why Comfort is Your Primary Concern
Some of the most common complaints for vacation property owners involve cleanliness, home/condo upkeep, and comfort. If a house or condo is unable to get cool, especially in the midst of summer, it can spoil a trip and lead to lots of headaches for you and your guests. Happy guests and good reviews lead to more bookings, and it all starts with the quality and comfort of your location.
The Most Common Mistakes for Beach Property Owners
Because you aren’t at the property full time it’s easy to overlook some common home hvac mistakes; ones you would probably catch at your permanent place of residence. Let’s take a look at some of them.
- Believing the old adage “If it’s not broke don’t fix it.” Some property owners will allow inefficient or partially dysfunctional hvac units to keep chugging along simply because they aren’t completely broke. This can actually be more costly in the long run because your unit is working extra hard just to operate at a sub-optimal level. You’ll also end up with less satisfied guests because the room takes longer to cool (or doesn’t cool that well).
- Going cheap to save money now. HVAC gets used hard at the beach. There is a lot of salt, sand, open doors, and constantly running units. Going with a low quality unit to save some money upfront will lead to additional maintenance, lower efficiency, and ultimately faster expiration of the unit.
- Not knowing routine maintenance options. A lot of property owners aren’t aware that they can establish a routine maintenance program to keep their units operational year-round. This is better than having to remember to call every quarter, or worse yet, just waiting until something breaks to get it fixed.
- Assuming all repairs are created equal. Sometimes owners just go with whatever hvac company their property manager recommends, or whomever is popular in the area. That might work out fine, but it might not. Quality has a lot of variables in the hvac industry, both in terms of parts used and technician skills.
Top Tips to Get Your HVAC in Tip Top Shape
So now that you know the pitfalls, let’s really hammer it home by recommending some specific tips and tricks to help keep your HVAC in prime condition year-round.
- Establish routine maintenance. Set it and forget it to keep things running smoothly even while you are away.
- Change your filters. If you are in the property, make sure this gets done every month. If you need us to do it for you, don’t hesitate to ask.
- Check and rinse your coils. Debris inside your unit is never a good thing. You can rinse the coil safely on your own; however, do not open up the unit to remove potential debris. Call us for assistance.
- Check your unit after serious storms. Your highest chance of damage and debris is after storms where limbs can fall and leaves/sand/etc. gets blown around.
- Consult us or your manufacturer about corrosive resistant parts. The sand and salt air will end up being your biggest enemies. Utilize parts that are corrosive resistant as much as possible.
- Ask us about protective washes and coatings. Depending on the unit we may be able to apply protective barriers in order to guard against common elements that break down your unit.
Hopefully this has given you a head-start on how to handle your beach-centric hvac! Don’t hesitate to reach out with additional questions or concerns. We’re here to assist everyone in the Ocean City New Jersey area.
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