Your HVAC system should be your reliable partner in any season, especially during winter. You cannot leave things up to fate and go through winter without taking care of your HVAC system or getting it ready for the harsh season. If you know how to winterize your HVAC system, you’ll have no trouble getting through the cold season without any problems.
Suppose you do not understand how to get your HVAC system ready for the coming winter. Not to worry! Summit Heating & A/C is here to help you with everything from preliminary inspection to final winterization. Let’s take a look at the top-most to-dos from seasoned professionals.
- Take Care of the Filters
Your HVAC filter acts as the first line of defense against any pollutants, dirt, or debris that might want to make its way into your home. Since these filters are constantly in contact with the indoor air, you need to pay special attention to them. Homeowners should get regular inspections twice a year and remember to change the filters.Some HVAC filters may last up to a year. However, the majority of filters need to be changed quarterly or even every month. You will not have to spend a fortune on changing these filters, and you can easily change them by yourself after a few attempts.
- Test Your Thermostats
Whether you have a traditional or smart thermostat, check yours every month to ensure smooth functionality. Thermostats work 24/7, and this is why it makes sense to double-check these devices to ensure that they are working correctly and will stay with you through the winter season.You can try setting your unit at different temperatures every half hour and manually checking the comfort inside the living space to see if your changes happened accordingly.
Additionally, if your thermostat fails to work correctly, this will not only make you feel uncomfortable inside your house, but your energy bills will also go through the roof. Before the winter arrives, take some time out and try to turn on the heat and see if it works properly. If the thermostat refuses to raise the internal temperature levels, it is time to call professionals.
- Take a Look at the Ductwork and Vents
Ducts are among the core elements of any HVAC system, and you need to make sure that all the ducts are properly interconnected, and there is no blockage or debris inside these ducts. For this, you can either take a look into the ducts by yourself or call a professional who can handle everything.Secondly, you will also need to look at vents and see if they are working as desired. You can easily remove the vent covers by yourself and check for debris or blockages. If your vents or ductworks are filled with debris, the air will not properly flow through these, and you will have to face a cold atmosphere inside the house.
- Cover Any Exposed Pipes
Your HVAC unit may be working well now, but you will have to ensure that it keeps working properly. To do that, you will have to insulate the pipes to prevent contact with the outside cold air. For this, you can purchase pipe covers from any local hardware store and slip them onto your pipes.You can also get help from a professional to take care of the pipes and insulate them to retain heat and offer a higher efficiency level in the winter season. If you fail to insulate your pipes properly, you will have to face heat loss via these pipes. To make up for the lost heat, the HVAC system will have to work harder, and your energy bills will be higher than before.
Therefore, you will have to take care of your pipes and invest your money and resources into properly insulating these pipes in the winter season. Moreover, if you do not insulate the pipes and the temperatures fall below the freezing point, your pipes may freeze and break. This way, you will have to replace entire pipes and pay a hefty amount in repairs. You need to cover your pipes and keep them safe from the harsh winter.
- Cover the HVAC Unit
Covering the pipes alone is not enough. You also have to take care of the HVAC unit itself and insulate it with a tarp or a furnace cover. This way, you will be able to protect your HVAC system from the harsh winter season and small rodents that may try to make their way into the warm unit to avoid the cold season.If you do not want to cover the unit with an expensive tarp, you can also use a cheap sheet of plywood and place it on the top of your HVAC unit. This will cover all the possible entry points for rodents and retain heat during the cold season.
Summit Heating & A/C is a hub of experts and seasoned HVAC specialists who can help you with the HVAC maintenance and winterization process. Our experts can help you cover the pipes and the unit itself, and keep them safe during any season.
- Invest in a Furnace Tune-Up
Summit Heating & A/C is also home to furnace specialists who can help you with flawless furnace tune-ups. When you move from air condition in the summer to heating in the winter, it is recommended to get a furnace tune-up to ensure the smooth functioning of the furnace during the heating processes. Our furnace technicians can help you with a tune-up and get your HVAC unit ready and winterized without any problems. - Remove Any Flammable Items
While you may have left some flammable items near the HVAC unit during the summer season, professionals recommend taking care of all the flammable items near the unit when you have to turn on the furnace and raise the temperatures. The area near the unit can get hot quickly. It is considered unwise and unsafe to leave any flammable items near the unit that might have devastating consequences.This means that you have to take care of any loose clothing items, Halloween decorations, matchsticks, or firecrackers before turning on the furnace.
What Do We Have to Say?
At Summit Heating & A/C, we can complete HVAC winterization tasks and help you maintain a high level of indoor air quality for a clean and enjoyable indoor atmosphere. Our professionals bring their years of resourceful experience to the table and offer unique and affordable HVAC solutions to our customers.
If you are getting ready for the coming winter season and want to get your HVAC system ready, we are here for you. We can help you do preliminary inspections and help cover up and insulate your pipes and vents for additional warmth and lower energy bills. Contact Summit Heating & A/C now for help winterizing your HVAC system and getting ready for the winter. We service Denver, Littleton, and the surrounding area with professional heating and cooling services.
