As summer winds down and cooler temperatures set in, your air conditioning system will be used less, and you will eventually have to fire up your furnace to ensure you are comfortable inside your home during the colder months. To prepare for winter, ensure your HVAC system is up to heating your home. After all, most HVAC emergencies occur during extreme temperatures, and you will not want to get caught without heat when it truly matters.
What Is Winterization, and Why Should You Do It?
Before the weather turns seriously cold, you should consider winterizing your home. Winterization prepares your home for colder months ahead, ensuring you will be comfortable during winter. Other reasons for winterizing your home are to:
- Save on energy bills
- Avoid costly repairs, especially in emergencies
- Ensure the health and overall safety of the members of the household
- Increase the life span of your HVAC system
How Do You Winterize Your HVAC System?
Here are some of the ways you can handle the winterization yourself and get a head start on making sure you are ready for winter:
1. Schedule preventive maintenance
A regularly scheduled maintenance checkup by qualified HVAC technicians will give you peace of mind in knowing that your HVAC system will operate in its best capacity. The ideal time to schedule a maintenance checkup is when the HVAC system is needed the least – in the spring and in the fall –before the system gets heavily used in the summer and winter. A professional checkup will also entail looking for issues that may cause bigger worries and costly repairs. Here is a general checklist of what an HVAC technician will perform:
- Clean drain lines, evaporator coils, and condensers
- Inspect the electrical system and check for leaks in the heating system
- Lubricate moving parts and check that all connections are in order
- Correct the calibration of the thermostat
- Replace worn parts
- Check that the fan motor works
- Remove blockages and clogs for proper air flow
- Change filters and batteries as needed
2. Check Air Filters
Checking your air filter is one of the easiest things you can do, both for winterization and general preventive maintenance. You should do it at least once every three months. If your air filter is dirty, replace it with a new one; having a backup filter on hand will make things easier. A clean air filter in your HVAC system ensures optimal heating efficiency, greater indoor air quality, and reduced energy costs.
3. Consider Insulation in Your Home
Proper insulation is important for improving your home’s heating efficiency. Ensure that weatherstripping is in place, check for drafts or air leaks around doors and windows, and make sure that drafty areas are well sealed. You may also want to consider hiring an HVAC technician to check your attic for any insulation that may need replacing.
4. Upgrade Your Thermostat
Newer programmable thermostats can help you achieve cost-effective measures in heating up your home. You can be totally in control of the desired temperature at any given time of day— a lower temperature when you are away and a temperature that is adjusted to a more comfortable setting when your home is occupied. This eventually helps with lowered energy consumption, which translates to more significant savings for you.
5. Cover the A/C Unit
Your outdoor AC unit needs to be protected from the elements. To help in winterizing it, start with clearing away leaves, twigs, and other debris around your unit. Accumulated dust and dirt need to be removed as well. Once cleaned, you may want to protect your unit from normal deterioration due to the elements. A protective, breathable, and waterproof cover will be sufficient and help extend your unit’s life. During the winter months, make sure to prevent snow and ice accumulation around your unit.
6. Turn On the Heat Before Winter
Test the function of the heater before you actually use it for the winter. First of all, it would help to know that it will run. Secondly, you can detect other issues, such as malfunctioning parts or the need for repairs. Turn on your heating system, preferably in the fall, and set the thermostat to just above room temperature. Observe how your system runs, and note unusual sounds or odors that may be coming from it. Remember that there may be an initial burning smell from accumulated dust in the system. Having any issues addressed and possibly inspected by a professional can help you be ready to come wintertime.
The comfort that you expect your HVAC system will provide during the winter months depends on its optimal performance. Winterizing your system is a smart move that will ensure its readiness to handle cold weather demands. The steps to winterize your system are simple and readily attainable. However, the professional touch of an experienced HVAC technician can reassure you that everything will function the way it should. Five Star Home Services experts are available 24/7 to help you figure out the best way to keep your HVAC system running smoothly. Call Five Star Home Services at (833) 405-8009 to schedule your HVAC tune-up today.
