During the holiday season, it can be tough to remember your maintenance tasks, things like making sure your heating system is working properly. If time has gotten away from you, here are the top five holiday HVAC tips that will keep the interior of your home comfortable and your system operating efficiently.
Tips for Keeping Your HVAC System Operating Efficiently
Change the Filter
To keep your HVAC unit operating efficiently, change the air filter. Be
sure to change it regularly to avoid indoor air quality issues and to
prevent your system from breaking down. When your HVAC system runs with
a dirty filter, it will be working harder than it’s accustomed to.
This can result in failure.
Adjust the Temperature Setting
The holidays are a time when you may be cooking more than usual as well
as hosting more people in your home than usual. This means that you can
turn your heat down. If you’re traveling during the holidays, keep
the heat on to prevent your home’s plumbing pipes from breaking,
but you can decrease the temperature to keep your energy bills low.
Store Flammable Objects Safely
This time of year can get hectic with excited kids running around and
extra cooking. Be sure to store things like wrapping paper and blankets
away from your home’s heating systems. If you use a small space
heater in your home office, keep flammable objects away from it as well.
Caution goes a long way toward fire prevention. If you’re traveling
for the holidays, complete a quick system and heating device check before
you leave.
Add Circulation
Simple things like ceiling fans and opening the window shades at the right
time of the day will work to keep your home warm. On ceiling fans, there
is a switch located on the base that you can flip so that the fan blades
will rotate opposite of the factory setting. Changing the rotation helps
to circulate the warm air that can become trapped near the ceiling. When
you open your window shades at the right time of the day, sunlight will
warm your home. Both of these steps will help your HVAC system so that
it doesn’t have to run as often to warm your home.
Have Your HVAC Unit Inspected
Regular maintenance visits from a professional HVAC company will keep
your system up and running. During a maintenance visit, a professional
will make sure that the system’s moving parts are running unencumbered.
He or she will also change the filter if needed and inspect the outside
part of the unit for debris. A maintenance visit includes checking for
blockages and leaks. When you have someone inspecting your system, a professional
HVAC technician can catch small problems before they become big ones.
Extending the Life of Your HVAC System
Holiday HVAC tips may extend the life of your HVAC unit. Along with completing
tasks that make your system operate more efficiently and effectively,
you can do a few things to give your unit a rest. A well-functioning HVAC
system will do a better job of keeping the temperatures inside your home
comfortable.