A quality heater or furnace is an essential part of preparing for winter. Keeping your home nice and toasty can keep even a brutal blizzard at bay. This can’t happen without proper HVAC maintenance, though. If you’ve been putting this off all fall, it’s high time that changes. Learn these important HVAC tips for winter so that you can stay warm throughout the season and avoid a chilling shutdown when you need to bring the heat.
Pre-Winter Preparation
The best treatment is prevention. This is just as true for your HVAC system as anything else. There are many opportunities for failure when you first start up the heater or furnace each winter, given how long heating systems go without being used in much of South Carolina. Taking a few pre-winter preparations can help to ensure your system is running at peak efficiency once you actually have to use it.
Some of the easiest things you can do to prepare would be to change air filters and inspect vents for clogs or obstructions. New air filters keep the air flowing through your home cleaner, and removing anything stuck on top of the vents lessens the strain on your system and keeps that air flowing free. You can also check the settings and batteries in your thermostat, as these can be a common point of failure that you rarely think about. Cleaning around your outside unit and fixing any draft windows or doors can definitely help, too.
System Inspection
A system inspection – whether by you or a professional from General Air – is an easy way to spot problems in your HVAC equipment. Cracked or unsealed ducts, strange noises while your system runs, inefficient heating, and a lot of other symptoms can reveal a lot.
Diagnosing certain problems can be simple, even for a layman. For instance, if your home just won’t get hot no matter how long your system runs, you’ve clearly got a problem somewhere. Finding out what’s specifically wrong in vaguer cases can be tough, but being aware of what an HVAC system looks, sounds, or runs like when there’s a problem can get the ball rolling for a professional. Even if there are no clear problems, however, it can still be worth it to have a professional come out and take a look around. Yearly inspections can save you in the long run by spotting minor issues you’d overlook on your own and fixing them before they turn into something major.
Cleaning and Servicing
Winter HVAC maintenance typically includes some cleaning and servicing. Simple things like dusting your ducts, checking pilot lights on a furnace, and cleaning your AC’s evaporator coil can extend your system’s lifespan by years. Doing a little cleaning puts less strain on the component parts and makes everything work more efficiently.
Servicing is equally important. As touched on before, servicing and maintenance after an inspection is a great way to safeguard your HVAC system against common issues. A yearly tune-up would be well worth the investment, helping you make the most out of your system by avoiding easily avoided breakdowns.
Contact the Experts at General Air for All Your HVAC Needs
Your HVAC systems are one of the most important parts of your home in any season; winter is no exception. Through proper maintenance, you’ll keep your whole home nice and warm throughout the colder months, no matter how low the temperature gets. With winter fast approaching, now is the perfect time to get your system inspected and serviced. Contact the experts at General Air today to safeguard your home against breakdowns and other issues this year.
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