As temperatures go down, your heating system overworks to ensure a comfortable indoor setting, putting more strain on your components. Failure to winterize can result in system breakdowns, compromised efficiency, and more. Winterizing your HVAC system helps maintain a warm, comfortable indoor space while optimizing energy efficiency and cutting down utility bills during the cold season.
When your system runs at peak efficiency, it needs less energy to keep the indoor temperature comfortable, translating to lower energy expenses throughout winter. Discussed below are six ways to winterize your HVAC system.
1. Schedule a comprehensive HVAC system inspection
Scheduling a thorough HVAC system inspection is essential when getting your home ready for the cold months. It’s key to helping keep your house cozy and warm throughout winter. Getting your HVAC system inspected before the winter season begins comes with numerous benefits, including:
- Avoid expensive HVAC system breakdowns: Routine HVAC inspections can unearth minor problems before escalating into significant issues. During an inspection, professional HVAC contractors will check your system for wear and tear, clean the parts, and ensure everything is working as it should
- Enhance your system’s energy efficiency: Dirt, debris, and dust can accumulate in your system over time, making it work harder than usual. A professional evaluation will clean any buildup and ascertain all parts are running at peak performance, minimizing energy bills and extending your HVAC system’s lifespan
With the help of expert HVAC services, including routine inspections, you can keep your system operating efficiently throughout winter.
2. Cover your outdoor HVAC unit
Winter can be severe, with ice, heavy snow, and freezing temperatures. Covering your outdoor HVAC unit is one of the best ways to winterize it. It helps:
- Protect from debris: Covering your outdoor AC unit ensures debris doesn’t accumulate in and around it, keeping it clean and free from possible hazards
- Extended HVAC lifespan: Safeguarding your outdoor AC unit from snow and debris keeps it from experiencing a lot of wear and tear. Routine maintenance from a reliable HVAC company, in addition to a cover’s extra protection during winter, can keep your AC in excellent working condition for many years
- Avoid ice and snow damage: Winter storms can accumulate heavy ice and snowfall, straining your HVAC exterior and damaging the internal components. Covering your AC unit creates a barrier that keeps ice and snow from coming into direct contact with it, lowering the likelihood of damage
3. Change air filters
Your HVAC remains in constant use during winter to keep your home comfortable, increasing the likelihood of wear and tear. The longer a filter stays in use, the more allergens, dust, bacteria, and pollen get trapped, blocking the filter and lowering its efficiency.
Regularly inspect your HVAC’s air filters and replace them as required. Replacing your air filters helps ensure your HVAC efficiently traps allergens, improving indoor air quality. When air filters are clogged, the furnace works harder to keep your indoor environment comfortable, consuming a lot of energy and increasing energy costs.
Replacing your air filters ensures you don’t pay significant utility bills. When air filters are dirty, warm air won’t flow evenly throughout your house. The debris accumulated on the filter can coat your ducts’ inner side, blocking them and causing cold spots. Replacing your filter can help winterize your HVAC system, ensuring warm air travels evenly throughout your home.
4. Clean the furnace
Cleaning your furnace removes dirt and debris to ensure particles don’t get sucked up into the air supply or furnace when operating. When cleaning the furnace, remove anything stored around the furnace to avoid blocking airflow to the HVAC unit. Ensure all exterior panels and access doors are securely attached to the air handler or furnace.
5. Seal leaks and insulate your home
Sealing the leaks around your doors, windows, vents, and ductwork in readiness for winter is key to keeping cold air outside and warm air indoors. In addition, adding insulation to crawl spaces, walls, and attics can help enhance energy efficiency. Adequate insulation can also prevent weather-related damages like frozen pipes.
6. Unblock vents and registers
Ensure all your home’s vents and registers are clean and unblocked. Rugs and furniture can block the vents, keeping air from circulating well and making it more difficult for your AC unit to warm your space. You can vacuum your home, including the vents, to avoid blockages. Should there be any significant buildup on your vents, hire an air duct cleaning service to boost indoor air quality.
Endnote
Winterizing your heating and cooling system ensures a comfortable indoor environment while keeping your unit running efficiently. Scheduling a professional HVAC inspection, replacing air filters, covering the outdoor AC unit, and cleaning the furnace can help winterize your HVAC system.
Image by ElasticComputerFarm on Pixabay
Recent Comments