If you're a homeowner, you likely spend at least a little time every month doing maintenance tasks around the house. That said, one part of your home that you might not think about often is your heating and cooling system. An HVAC system can often be out of sight and out of mind until something goes wrong. But if you don't want to have to call a home-heating repair specialist, you'll want to take steps to make sure you stay on top of things. Here are three maintenance tips that should keep your HVAC system running smoothly for many years to come.

Change the Air Filter on a Regular Basis

A clogged air filter is a one-way ticket toward trouble for your HVAC system. Clogging might not happen immediately, but when your air filter becomes clogged, your heating system's airflow becomes diminished, forcing the entire system to work harder than it should have to. Get into the habit of changing your air filter on a regular basis, even if the filter doesn't look completely clogged. The more efficiently the system runs, the less wear and tear will be generated over the long term.

Keep the Heat Pump Free and Clear of Debris

When you think about your heating system, you might think of the thermostat or the water heater in the garage. But if your system uses a heat pump that is located outside of the house, you need to make sure that you perform maintenance around this area as well. In order to get the job done, your heat pump needs to be free of any potential obstructions. Make sure any plants or shrubs in the area are trimmed down and that any leaves are raked up during the fall.

Schedule Regular Professional Maintenance

It's true that a major purpose of performing maintenance on HVAC systems is to keep them in good condition so you don't end up with a costly repair bill. Using that logic, you might not want to pay someone to come out to the house and perform a maintenance check for you. But look at it this way: the amount of money you will pay to get a professional contractor to look for potential problems is likely far less than the amount you would have to pay if something does go wrong and you end up needing a repair or a replacement. A trained professional will be able to look over every element of your HVAC system, including areas that you might not know about.

If you want to avoid receiving a costly HVAC repair bill, get into the habit of regularly changing your air filter and keeping your outside heat pump free of debris. For best results, schedule an annual maintenance check up with a professional contractor to locate and fix potential problems before they deteriorate and result in an even bigger repair bill