Heating and cooling systems have advanced tremendously from what many of us grew up with. We now program our systems to turn on and off at prescribed times, or to activate automatically when needed.

The heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) system is an extremely important part of your home — not just for comfort, but for health and safety as well.

Making sure your heating and air conditioning system is working to its maximum efficiency, and where improvements could be made, is critical to the health of your home, and the people who live in it.

You don’t need to be an HVAC expert though, to get the most from your system. Even making a few small changes can make a tremendous difference in terms of energy efficiency.

The following are some common HVAC situations that can cause problems:

Oversized heating or air conditioning system.

Equipment that is not sized correctly for the space is more expensive to install, operates inefficiently (which leads to comfort problems and indoor air quality concerns) and costs more to operate.

To avoid oversizing of your heating system, make sure the installer does a heat-loss calculation to determine the correct BTU (British thermal units, the standard heat value) per hour needed. If you are replacing an older unit going by the amount on the previous furnace may result in one that is too large as that is often the norm.

Older conditioning system.

There have been huge technological advances over the past ten years and systems installed prior to that are less efficient and can sometimes be unreliable. Older systems are often much noisier as well.

Inadequate ventilation system.

Many older homes do not have adequate ventilation systems, but some newer homes also have ventilation problems because they are so tightly constructed. Exhaust-only systems do not allow for a balanced flow. A heat recovery ventilation system is a better choice. Good ventilation improves the health of the home, and its occupants.

Poor integration of systems.

In older homes it is common that the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems were all installed at different times, leading to poor integration between them. The exhaust fan, for example, can cause problems with the venting of a combustion appliance making the whole HVAC system less efficient.

Poor maintenance.

Maintenance service checks need to be done regularly to ensure it is operating properly. Old equipment needs to be repaired or replaced. Without proper maintenance, equipment will not operate at peak efficiency and is prone to failure.

Check filters and vents. Investigate any unusual noises or smells immediately and call a qualified tradesperson.

Taking the time to understand how your HVAC system works and following a maintenance schedule will ensure you are getting maximum efficiency from your system — and that’s not only better for your home, it’s easier on the household budget too.