Even in the southern reaches of Port Richey, you are not immune to the cooler blasts of winter. As the last leaf starts to fall, have you run through your “winterizing a home” checklist yet? Are you even sure what would be on one or how to check it?
This article will help you understand what you should have on your home winterization list. By the time you get to the end, you will understand what winter HVAC maintenance entails and who you can call on to ensure it is done right.
Insulating Your Home
Work out where insulation in your home is starting to degrade and either repair or replace it. This will reduce the need for your HVAC to run at full blast all winter long, diminishing its lifespan.
Winter HVAC Maintenance
Ensuring your HVAC receives the right checks can mean the difference between comfort and a system breaking down when you most need it. As such, either perform an inspection or get someone else to do it for you.
Cleaning the Air Ducts
Debris can impair your HVAC efficiency by blocking the flow of cold or warm air. Make sure you perform these steps to unblock the ducts:
- Clean the duct vent covers
- Use brushes to dislodge debris in the ducts
- Use a sanitizing solution to clean up mold or mildew
- Use a vacuum to remove any dust from ducts
Please note that this list is not exhaustive and that specialists have equipment that can perform this task at a professional level.
Checking Air Filters to Ensure Indoor Air Quality
Take a look at the air filters in the HVAC system. Depending on the manufacturer’s instructions, either clean or replace these.
Setting Thermostats for Colder Days
Set your thermostat to around 70°F when you are home and awake. You can often set this around 8°F lower when you are asleep unless you are prone to wandering.
If you have a programmable thermostat, you can have it automatically adjust for your daily schedule, lowering it during the night or when at work.
Make sure to also place thermostats in locations where drafts will blow over them, otherwise, they will think it is colder than the rest of the home. The last thing you want is an overheating home due to a badly placed device.
Securing Your HVAC Against Winter Surges
When the electricity comes back after a winter outage, it could knock out devices in your home. As such, use surge protection in your HVAC system to stop electrical issues causing you further problems when power returns.
Give Us the “Winterizing a Home” Checklist
As the last leaf falls from the trees in Florida, you will want to ensure you complete your “winterizing a home” checklist. Still, sometimes you might be too busy, or the above might be outside of your skill set. We can help you out there.
Allied Air Conditioning & Heating can work with you to set up a maintenance schedule and run through it for you. We can ensure your HVAC runs the lowest risk of failure all through the Florida winter months. So, get in touch to learn more about what we offer today.
