Keeping your home warm and dry during the winter is crucial to your health and comfort. Your HVAC system is important during the winter to provide even heat throughout the home. Before the winter season comes, it can be helpful to winterize your HVAC system to keep your home energy efficient. The cold temperatures outside will not negatively affect your home when you take the time to maintain your HVAC.
Change The Air Filter
The air filter is an essential component when it comes to your heating system. One way to winterize your HVAC system is to ensure your air filter is not clogged with debris. Replacing the air filter will help improve the energy efficiency of the heating system which will allow it to work throughout the entire winter season. If your system has a dirty air filter, it will have to work much harder to keep your home at a comfortable temperature. A clogged air filter will restrict the airflow through your ducts and limit the performance.
Before you replace the air filter, check your manufacturer’s manual to determine what air filter will work best for your home. This manual will also help you to know how often you should be replacing the filter. Replacing the filter often will reduce the number of pathogens in your home that can make you sick. Changing the air filter every three months will keep your home healthy and prepped for the winter.
Insulate Your Home And HVAC System
Checking your doors, windows, and HVAC system for drafts is a great step to winterize your home. Sealing any gaps with caulk or weatherstripping will help keep the warm air inside your home. The more hot air that escapes your home, the longer your furnace will have to run to maintain the temperature inside. When insulating, focus on the attic, walls that are adjacent to the exterior, and where your HVAC system exits your home.
Winterizing your HVAC system will help you stay warm during the long winter, but will also save you money on energy bills. Connect HVAC experts can help you fill in all small gaps and service your system to keep your home comfortable.
Check And Alter Your Thermostat Settings
Optimizing your thermostat settings is another way to winterize your HVAC system. When you are away from your home, lowering the set temperature will lead to significant energy savings. Modern thermostats that can be programmed or scheduled when the heat will come on are a good way to improve your home.
A proper temperature to have your thermostat set at is 68 degrees Fahrenheit or 20 degrees Celcius. Especially when you are working or on a trip outside the home, lowering the temperature even by a couple of degrees will result in significant savings. If you are winterizing your system in a business, lowering the temperature after closing time or on days when you are not in the office will also help extend the life of your HVAC.
Not only will you be able to save money, but optimizing your thermostat will ensure that your furnace doesn’t give out in the middle of the season. Overworking an HVAC system can cause it to stop working sooner than expected, which can put you in a tough spot during the winter.
Clean Out Your Ductwork
There are many benefits to having your ductwork regularly cleaned including having proper heating for the entire season. Dust, pathogens, mold, and other debris will start to fill up your ductwork and cause multiple problems. Keeping your home warm, healthy, and energy-efficient is easier when you have clean ducts. Clean ducts ensure that your system can deliver warm air whenever you need it.
Test The Furnace Before Winter Sets In
Before the temperature starts to drop, running your heater for a night can help you diagnose any problems and have them repaired before winter sets in. If your furnace is not heating the home evenly, if you hear strange noises, or if the system doesn’t come on at all, these are clear signs you need a furnace service.
Our experts can help inspect your ducts and the furnace itself to improve the heating efficiency. Inspections and cleaning the ductwork will give you peace of mind during a Utah winter.
HVAC Services From Connect
Our team at Connect Building Services is proud to serve many communities in Utah. We want all residents and businesses to be prepared for the harsh winters that Utah is known for. Putting off HVAC services can put you in an uncomfortable spot when the snow begins to fall. Reach out to our experts to inspect your furnace and duct work as the outdoor temperatures begin to drop.
