Fall is quickly approaching us here in the Maryland/Virginia/Pennsylvania area, and it’s essential for homeowners to prep their houses for the lowering temperatures. In the cooler months, your HVAC unit will no longer be working to cool your home and the heat pump may take over. As a homeowner, it is important in these transitional early fall months to prepare your home and its HVAC unit for the colder winter months ahead. Here’s how:
PREPARE YOUR HEAT PUMP
If you have a heat pump that will be used to warm the home there are steps you can take to prepare it for the winter months. Walking around the heat pump to check that it is unobstructed is a good best practice. Remove any debris or obstruction from the outside of the unit so that air can circulate through it. You can also have your heat pump inspected each year around this time to prevent larger problems from occurring. A service technician can check the power supply, fan, and filter and alert you to any major concerns.
THERMOSTAT
Before the colder weather sets in you’ll want to do a thorough check on the thermostat to make sure it is up to date and working correctly. There are many thermostats that are outdated and that don’t work well anymore, which can make them very inaccurate. Be sure to replace batteries at this time, if yours is a digital thermostat check to make sure it turns on and off properly and that any settings are correct.
THE DUCTS
It is important to clean your heating duct periodically so that warm air is able to flow into the home. Punctures, dents, and disconnections should be addressed by a professional and corrected before your unit is used for the winter. You can call an HVAC contractor to help with locating your ducts and assessing any problem areas.
AIR FILTERS
Air filters need to be regularly changed, no matter what the season, but we feel as though the change of seasons is a great time to make a habit of checking and changing them. Mark your new calendar at the end of the year with regular dates to change your filter, different filters last shorter or longer period of time and you can check the packaging if you are unsure about how often to change them.
If you are concerned about having your HVAC unit ready for winter, and are interested in scheduling an inspection, we even offer a $59 HVAC checkup service! Contact Cool Breeze today or call (410) 549-0323. Our professionals can help you assess your situation and determine what will best meet your needs.