Winters in Shawnee, KS, can bring cold temperatures and snow. Therefore, you need your HVAC system to keep you comfortably warm and safe throughout the winter. To keep your HVAC system working efficiently, there are some steps you should take as a homeowner to safeguard it, boost its efficiency and protect your indoor comfort. Let’s look at a few tips to help you prepare for the winter ahead.
Schedule Maintenance Prior to Winter
You should schedule a routine inspection and preventative maintenance for your HVAC system before turning on your furnace for the first time before winter. This will prevent any unfortunate scenarios where you are left without heat on a cold winter day. If we spot anything amiss with your HVAC equipment, we can make repairs quickly. We often spot minor problems early before they escalate. A maintenance visit often prevents a catastrophic shutdown of your heating equipment and gives you peace of mind.
We recommend that HVAC maintenance occurs at least once per year. Some people schedule a maintenance appointment before the start of summer. This allows our team to inspect your air conditioning equipment before temperatures start to creep up and you rely on your cooling system heavily. Scheduling maintenance early allows us to check all components to ensure they are working properly.
Take Care of Your Outdoor Equipment
You won’t be using your air conditioner for many months, so it’s a good idea that we inspect your condenser and get it ready for winter. This can include clearing the area of debris, cleaning the interior components, checking refrigerant levels and lubricating moving parts.
Whether you have a heat pump or a gas or electric furnace, cleaning the unit and its interior components can promote better system efficiency. Filters should be changed at least every three months to promote optimal airflow. If you have pets, you may need to change the filters more often.
Keep Vents and Registers Open
The various vents and registers in your home that are part of your HVAC system should be left open throughout the winter and beyond. Many homeowners believe that they can save money on their monthly energy bills by closing off vents in rooms that don’t get used frequently. This is not an efficient choice and can cause damage to your HVAC system. Your heating equipment needs proper airflow through the system to function properly and not become strained. You’ll find that your home feels more comfortable overall when you leave the vents and registers open.
You should also wipe down your vents and registers to prevent particulate matter from accumulating in the interior components of your HVAC system. This accumulation can lead to a decrease in indoor air quality, decreased equipment efficiency and more frequent repair needs.
Address Repair Needs
If issues are occurring with your furnace, you should have a technician address them promptly. If you ignore HVAC issues throughout the winter, this can lead to problems that are expensive to repair. In some cases, you could be faced with replacing your furnace because you didn’t have a minor issue fixed. This is inconvenient in the middle of a cold spell when you are heavily relying on your furnace to heat your home to a safe temperature.
There are several signs that you should watch out for that indicate your HVAC system needs professional assistance.
Abnormal Smells
When you turn on your furnace for the first time before winter, you may notice that a slight dusty smell is coming from your vents. This is temporary and should go away after a few minutes. If a strong burning smell lingers, turn off your heating equipment and call our team for help.
Odd Sounds
If you’ve lived in your home for several years, you’re likely familiar with the sound your furnace makes when it turns on and off. When your furnace runs and you hear abnormal sounds, this is usually a signal that it needs maintenance. Listen for banging, clanking or loud humming sounds.
Short Cycling
Your furnace should turn on, run for a few minutes and then cycle off. However, if it seems to be running very frequently and your home isn’t reaching the set temperature on your thermostat, your furnace could be short cycling. There could be a problem with the heating element in your furnace, the blower motor may be broken, or a cracked heat exchanger may be to blame. A cracked heat exchanger can allow an unsafe buildup of carbon monoxide to occur in your home. Make sure you have working carbon monoxide detectors in your home and that you call a furnace repair professional when you suspect an issue with your HVAC system.
Spike in Energy Bills
It’s normal for your energy use to go up a bit in the winter. However, you shouldn’t see a dramatic spike, especially when compared to the amount of energy that you used at the same time last year. If you suspect that your HVAC system is to blame for the spike in your energy bills, you should have one of our technicians inspect it to find the cause.
Set Up Your Thermostat
If you have a programmable or smart thermostat, you can protect your HVAC system by ensuring you have a proper schedule set. You want to avoid running your equipment excessively for a long time. If you drop your interior temperature a few degrees at night, don’t have the temperature increase so dramatically in the morning that your furnace is running for over an hour or more. Your HVAC system is designed to run in short intervals, allowing it plenty of time to rest in between cycles.
If you’re going to be away from home for an extended period, consider setting up a schedule that reduces runtime. If you have a smart thermostat, you can control your interior temperature remotely.
Consider a Duct Inspection and Cleaning
In addition to routine maintenance and repairs for your furnace and other related equipment, consider having your ducts inspected and cleaned. We will check for any damage to your ductwork that may be compromising your indoor air quality, comfort and equipment efficiency. We can seal up small cracks and gaps using sealants and special tape. We can also replace large sections of ductwork that are damaged.
We recommend scheduling the cleaning of your ductwork every three to five years. This process removes particulate matter that has accumulated in your ducts over time. These contaminants can negatively impact your indoor air quality and cause harm to the interior components of your heating equipment in the winter.
If you would like to schedule routine heating maintenance or repairs for your Shawnee home, reach out to Air Care Heating & Cooling‘s team of furnace services experts. Our team can also install new heating and cooling equipment, help with indoor air quality issues, provide water heater service and address commercial HVAC concerns. We have been in business for over 40 years and are proud to serve the Shawnee community and surrounding areas.
Contact Air Care Heating & Cooling today to schedule an appointment for HVAC service in Shawnee.
