Winter made a slow to make an appearance in many areas around the country, which is good news for homeowners who didn’t get the chance to prepare their HVAC system for the colder temperatures. If you haven’t performed any seasonal maintenance yet, it’s important to do so for your family’s safety.
This starts with changing the air filter in your residential or commercial HVAC system. Most industry experts recommend that homeowners do this monthly, although some filters can last as long as three months before you need to replace them. A clean filter allows the warm air to flow through your home easier in addition to making the furnace more energy efficient.
Other HVAC Maintenance Tasks to Perform for Winter
To ensure your comfort and safety in addition to lower your heating bills, you should also plan to complete the following in preparation for winter:
- Check the settings on your programmable thermostat to make sure they align with your family’s schedule over the colder winter months. One easy way to save money is to program the unit to decrease the temperature during the hours when everyone is asleep.
- Check all of the air vents in your home to make sure they are clear. Vents tend to clog with dirt and debris that make it difficult for the warm air from the furnace to get through them. If the vents are dirty, remove the covers with a screwdriver and use a long vacuum hose to clean them. You can also use a damp cloth to remove dirt build-up from the hoods.
- Check the settings on your home’s carbon monoxide detector and be sure that it contains fresh batteries. If you don’t have a carbon monoxide detector yet, install one as soon as possible—it could save your life. The unit alerts you to the presence of the odorless and colorless gas leaking from your furnace before it’s too late.
- Turn the power to your furnace off at the main circuit breaker so you can look for cracks on the blower belt. To do this, remove the steel cover of the air handler with a screwdriver and look for the largest rubber belt inside of the unit. This is the blower belt. If you notice cracks, you will need to replace it.
Consider a Seasonal HVAC Tune-Up
If you don’t feel comfortable performing the above tasks yourself or don’t have the time to do it, contact a professional heating and cooling technician to check the system for you. A typical HVAC tune-up consists of checking dozens of items to make sure that a home’s furnace or heat pump is in good shape for the coming winter. These check-ups are inexpensive compared to the valuable peace of mind you get knowing your family is safe and comfortable.
