Texas winters are nothing short of unpredictable, so when it comes to preparing your HVAC for the on-again, off-again chilly weather, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Before the severe winter weather hits, ensure your heating unit is ready to take on Texas winter storms. Here are five top tips from Christmas Air Conditioning & Heating on how to winterize your heating system and keep everyone feeling comfortable on even the coldest of nights.
Prep Your Furnace
Homes with a furnace powering the heating system need extra special attention during winter preparations. Ensure that boxes and clutter in the attic are at least 24in. away from the furnace for combustion air to enter the system and allow for ease of access. Debris will accumulate throughout the year when the furnace is functioning, so Christmas Air recommends an annual maintenance checkup to make sure that each part is running efficiently.
Change your HVAC Filter
The easiest step in winterizing your HVAC system is a simple filter change. If you forgot to change your unit’s filters last fall, you absolutely need to get a new filter ready before the temperatures drop.
To make sure your loved ones are protected from harmful bacteria that can spread in the air, we recommend that you replace your 1in. air filters every 1-2 months while 4in. air filters need to be replaced every 4-6 months. These time frames should be slightly shorter and/or more frequent if you have hard/wood floors or pets. This may sound gross, but when you have carpet, it catches dander, dirt, and debris that your vacuum removes. This same debris circulates through your air system in a home with hard/wood floors that your air filter removes. Clean air filters are especially important if you have any pets or if your HVAC system is a bit older. This monthly rotation will ease the conditions of people who suffer from allergies or respiratory conditions in your home.
Vacation or vacant homes with minor HVAC don’t need HVAC filters replaced as frequently. These typically can wait to replace filters every 9-12 months. The general consensus is the more you use your home, the more you need to change your air filter. During a Christmas Air HVAC maintenance, we will include this service if you let us know before our maintenance call so that we can plan to bring a filter with us. Our maintenance services will be all you need to prepare for Texas’ severe winter weather.
Troubleshoot your thermostat
If a thermostat is miscalibrated and reads temperatures incorrectly in the house, it will cause the heating system and blower fan to turn on and off at the wrong times. This can mean parts of the house become stuffy while others won’t receive adequate heat. The temperature you’ve set for your thermostat should match the actual temperature in the different rooms of your home. Inconsistencies may reveal a weakness in your HVAC system, insulation, or the thermostat itself. If you have a programmable thermostat, adjust the settings, so your heating habits make sense for your family’s winter routine.
Clean the air vents
The supply and return air ducts must be clean as you prepare to run your heating system through the winter. Duct cleaning generally refers to the cleaning of various heating and cooling system components of forced air systems, including the supply and return air ducts and registers, grilles, and diffusers.
If not properly installed, maintained, and operated, these components may become contaminated with particles of dust, pollen, or other debris. If moisture is present, the potential for microbiological growth is increased, and spores from such growth may be released into the home’s living space. Some of these contaminants may cause extreme allergic reactions or other symptoms in people if exposed to them.
Schedule Christmas Air to come out for a bi-annual maintenance service
A poorly working HVAC unit will not only become less energy efficient, but it will also directly affect your home or office, decreasing the quality of the air you breathe or creating harmful conditions that can cause your furnaces to fail prematurely.
The best way to minimize these potential year-round problems is by performing a bi-annual maintenance service in the fall and spring.
Contact Christmas Air for all your heating & air needs to keep your HVAC system running efficiently and your utility bills as low as possible when the severe winter weather hits.
