Home maintenance is essential during changing seasons to prepare for winter's chilling weather. If you take the necessary measures at the beginning of the year, you can avoid more severe problems later.
The winter months may be challenging when keeping your house warm and your power expenses low. It is highly recommended that you schedule your annual HVAC maintenance before winter hits.
In addition, we have gathered ten simple suggestions to help you keep your home warm and reduce your energy costs this winter. Like the rest of your home, the HVAC system may need additional care when the seasons change.
Consider thinking about winterizing your HVAC system now that winter is almost here. You will need to take ten little steps, including getting new air filters installed, turning fans around, insulating pipes, regular upkeeps, cleaning debris, keeping vents clean, maintaining the thermostat, inspecting the evaporator, hose bibs, and last but not least insulate windows.
Your Checklist for HVAC Winterization
Step 1: Get New Air Filters
Is this the first time you've replaced the air filters? You may save money and keep your HVAC system healthy by keeping the filters clean. Dirty, clogged filters can strain your unit.
Consistent airflow and unnecessary strain on the system can cause damage if the filters are not kept clean. Changing the filters once a month throughout the winter is recommended by our maintenance providers, like Waynes Heating & AC. The evaporator coils can also be kept clean by changing the filters.
Step 2: Turn Your Fans Around
You may be familiar with the little switch at your ceiling fan's base. Turning it over down causes the fan to spin counterclockwise. You may reduce your energy expenditures by turning the thermostat backward, which will cause warm air to be pushed down from the ceiling and circulated throughout your home.
Step 3: Insulating Pipes
It is a significant hassle to fix frozen pipes in the winter. Reduce the hot water you use and avoid frozen pipes this winter by insulating them. Pipe foam, easily cuttable by anyone, is available at most hardware stores.
Step 4: Arrange for Regular Upkeep
Your HVAC system will be pushed through its paces this winter, so ensure it's ready for extreme cold weather. No matter how chilly it gets outside, a reliable HVAC professional can inspect your system, tune it up, and fix any problems they find.
Step 5: Gather and Clean Outside Debris
Winterizing your HVAC system requires a few steps. When gutters become clogged with ice or other debris, they can pull away from the house, allowing water to pool beneath the shingles. In the long run, this can lead to water damage. Removing debris like leaves from your gutters can lessen the chances of this happening.
How frequently do you observe massive icicles dangling from your rooftop? When left dangling above heavily populated regions, icicles threaten gutters and passers-by. If you want the water running down your roof to have somewhere to go, clear out the gutters of any debris.
We should inspect our outside unit immediately if leaves have fallen from the trees in the past few weeks. Keeping an eye on the unit throughout winter is essential because any buildup of debris, such as snow or ice, can reduce its performance or even destroy it.
After you turn off the water to your outside faucet, water will still be in your hose. Therefore, the remaining water could freeze if you leave the hose connected to the fixture, occasionally in the pipeline leading to the fixture. To ensure that your pipes remain undamaged when you turn the water back on in the spring, disconnect the hoses before storing them for the winter.
Step 6: Make Sure Vents Are Clean
If your home has drafts, the air conditioning won't be able to do its job either. To avoid stress on the HVAC and to winterize your HVAC system, you must determine the source of air leakage. Put a lit candle near any drafty doors, windows, or other openings to see if it helps. One sign of a draft is if the light flickers.
Make use of draft snakes to seal off air leaks in your home. You can make a double-sided barrier that slides under your door and holds warm air inside or use a rolled-up towel, both of which are simple DIY options.
Start with the room with the lowest temperature and open the supply registers. Once you've balanced the system, set the thermostat to maintain the desired temperature in the coldest room and adjust all the supply registers in the warmer rooms.
Keeping the foundation vents open during the warmer months is recommended to allow air circulation in the crawl space. To avoid mildew and decay, make sure the vents are open. Your foundation vents should be kept closed when winter comes. Your pipes will be more protected from the cold if you do that.
Step 7: Pay Attention to the Thermostat
If nobody is home throughout the day, why is the heater turned on? Winterize your HVAC system with a smart thermostat; you can program the heater to turn off during specific periods of the day, allowing you to save money. For every degree you turn down your thermostat in the winter, you can cut your daily energy bills by up to three percent.
Step 8: Inspect the Evaporator Coils and Condensate Lines.
Water damage to your system might occur if the condensate lines become clogged and backed up due to dirty evaporator coils in your furnace. Having a certified HVAC repair specialist inspect and clean your system once a year is highly recommended.
Step 9: Insulating Windows
Putting in window film is a simple way to prevent heat loss via your home's windows. When winter comes to a close, you can peel off the transparent film that adheres to your windows. You can find installation kits at most hardware stores. Even when closed, your home's windows let a lot of heat out.
Drapes can be used to seal draughty windows. Pull the drapes closed and select thicker fabric to keep the heat in your home.
The heat will escape via the cracks in your windows and doors, making your heating system work harder to keep the room comfortable. Before anything else, make sure every window is securely locked.
Step 10: Hose Bibs
You risk costly water damage and a broken pipe if water is left in the lines that supply your hoses.
To winterize your HVAC system, use the garage or utility closet shut-off valve to turn off the Waterhouse bibs. The next step is to empty the outside bibs and keep the valve open throughout the winter. The last thing to do is take the lid off the bleeder if your shut-off valve has one and pour any excess water into a bucket. After the draining is finished, put the bleeder cap back on.
Is HVAC Repair Necessary?
This is an indispensable set of guidelines for homeowners who frequently encounter several challenges throughout the winter months, and winterizing your home addresses these concerns. You can fix some things around the house, but some repairs are better left to the experts.
Is your home prepared for winter conditions in terms of energy efficiency? If you want to winterize your HVAC system by scheduling a tune-up, call Waynes Heating & AC immediately.
Get in touch with us today!
Frequently Asked Questions:
What steps should I take to prepare my HVAC system for winter?
You can design your furnace for winter by checking the air filters and doing a heat test. It is also a good idea to clean the heat exchanger and blower motor before storing the system for the winter. Also, ensure the pilot light is lit and check the ignitor switch if your furnace runs on gas.
What does the HVAC system stand for in the dead of winter?
A heat pump is a device that uses refrigerants to transfer heat from one medium to another using a compression and release mechanism. In the dead of winter, your system acts like a reverse air conditioner.
Can thermostats freeze when winter rolls around?
Many reasons might cause your HVAC system to freeze, but luckily, most are avoidable: Your unit may develop ice buildup in the winter due to restricted airflow.
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