Are you sure that your HVAC system is prepared for cold winter weather? Winter is coming closer than you would like it too! This means that the heating and furnace systems will operate throughout the day, keeping Pittsburgh homes safe and comfortable. When temperatures drop, Pittsburgh area homeowners want to know, “How can I prepare my HVAC system for the upcoming winter weather?”
Naturally, you’ll want to ensure that the HVAC system can efficiently warm your home when you follow the correct steps to keep it in good condition, test it and secure it.
It is essential to maintain your HVAC unit to live in peace and security and without any problems with the changing seasons. That’s the reason we’re here. After reading this article and following the advice, you’ll be well on the way to ensuring that the HVAC unit is prepared to handle any winter storm which is coming.
Here are some tips to assist you in preparing for the winter months. HVAC for the coming colder weather.
Do a test run
Be sure to turn on your furnace at least three times when the weather is still pleasant. It’s not a good idea to wait to switch on your furnace until the first coldest day of the year when you discover it isn’t functioning.
Often, furnaces can have problems with the stove, for instance, bugs getting stuck inside the flue and vent systems. Many issues could arise when you heat your home during the winter season.
This is why you should determine the condition of your HVAC system earlier, while it’s relatively mild.
CLEAN THE UNIT and BOOK A MAINTENANCE TUNE-UP
Whether you have an air conditioner, furnace, or multi-purpose unit, it is essential to schedule a scheduled maintenance visit and do some cleaning yourself. These tasks are straightforward and excellent methods to increase the efficiency of your furnace and prepare for winter weather.
An expert tune-up for maintenance will identify and fix any issues before them leading to an eventual system failure. If caught early, problems can be addressed with less costly and more straightforward repairs. But, if the issue goes unnoticed, homeowners continue to operate their heating systems. However, more extensive and expensive damages could result. The well-maintained system helps keep homeowners safe from sudden repairs and heating failures during the winter months.
You can improve and clean the efficiency of your HVAC system without much effort, or a trained HVAC technician at Schultheis Brothers can optimize the system for the highest output.
Our experienced HVAC technician will inspect the wiring, switches, filters, and motors. He will also check the belts, motors, and filters. If you need HVAC repair, they can provide an immediate repair on the spot or assist you with scheduling repairs to bring your system back to top form.
Simply put, you’ll enjoy long years of maintenance from the HVAC system by ensuring it is easy to maintain tune-ups.
CLEAN ALL OVER THE FACE
Although a tune-up to maintain the unit will cleanse the internal chambers of the furnace, the homeowner is responsible for keeping the space around the heating or furnace free of any debris.
Get rid of dirt and other debris to prevent these pieces from getting in the furnace or into the air circulation while the stove operates.
Get rid of any items stored near the furnace to ensure that airflow is unrestricted. Anything flammable must be kept at least six feet from the heater.
Check that all access or exterior doors are secured to the furnace or air handler. If specific models have loose panels, the HVAC system may be unable to turn on.
Change your AIR FILTERS
It could seem trivial to change your filter on the inside is one method to avoid the most regular air and heating problems. Since most filters must be changed every third month, replacing your filter every time the weather shifts is the best method of determining when your system will require an upgrade to its filter.
The process of regularly changing the air filter has many advantages. The most significant benefit is that dirt, dust, and other pollutants can cause the filter to become blocked, which makes the system work harder to draw in air. This means the system needs to perform more work to heat the home, which costs additional energy.
This is a suggestion If you still need to change your air filter in the past, make sure you get it cleaned in the coming heating season and change it now! In winter, heating systems are often in constant use. It’s common to see filters fill up quickly and need frequent replacement compared to once every three months.
Make it a habit to check the filter each month to see if you need to replace it. Replacement is required earlier than expected.
Clean those VENTS and AIR DUCTS
Have you had the experience of turning to your heating system for the first time after some time only to be met with an unpleasant, burning odor? In most cases, it results from your system with a cloud of smoking dust and dirt accumulating over the summer months.
This smell can be eliminated by making sure your vents are cleaned and giving any available ducts the proper cleaning and dusting. It is also possible to consider an expert duct cleaning service. Along with thorough cleaning, these professionals will examine the ducts to find leaks, dents, and any other significant problems.
Have your CHIMNEYS serviced
Creosote, along with other flammable substances, can accumulate in chimneys. Therefore, it is essential to have your vent cleaned regularly by a professional every so often.
Even if you do not burn coal or wood, you must ensure that the chimney of your oil or gas furnace is periodically inspected for signs of animal activity, corrosion and carbon accumulation.
BOOST INSULATION LEVELS
If your home is doing a better job of keeping the heat in it, it will reduce the energy the heating system will use to offset any heat loss. Increasing the insulation in the attic and under floors increases energy efficiency. It ensures that more of the heat your furnace or pump generates stays in your home.
Insulation can be put in as a DIY project or professionally installed. There are many insulation options to pick from, including blown insulation and insulation batting made from different materials.
Consider insulating the unconditioned parts of your house and pipes to improve heating efficiency this winter. Cold air infiltration and cold air contact into unconditioned spaces result in heat loss through ducts and ducts, which means less heat makes it into your living areas. Installing insulation in ducts in regions that are not conditioned can reduce losses in heat significantly.
SECURE ALL AIR LEAKS
The most significant issue caused by air leaks is they permit drafts to enter your home, which results in unneeded energy consumption. Check your home and find any air leaks that are around the house. When you have identified them, be sure to seal them. Make sure to lock all the windows and doors using caulk and weather stripping to reduce the chance of leaks. While you’re at that, close off any ductwork leaking with aluminum tape to lower your energy bill.
Sound Check
It is essential to be aware whenever your HVAC unit makes unusual noises. It could be an indication of a system issue. When you hear unique sounds emanating from the system, make sure you consult a professional to examine all electrical connections and wiring,
SEEK OUT THE DUCTWORK
In the lead-up to winter’s heating, look at the HVAC ducts of your home to ensure they’re in good shape for winter. Duct sealing can eliminate gaps that cause disconnections, damage, and gaps that cause loss of heat, and lower heating efficiency. You can examine the ducts yourself or engage a professional to look for leaks in your ducts and then make the necessary repairs to bring back their proper performance.
Leaks in ducts significantly cause inefficient heating in a typical Pittsburgh home. Duct leaks resulting in 20 to 30 percent heat loss are typical. Air leaks are primarily an issue in winter since a significant amount of heat gets lost moving through the ducts to your living spaces. You shed this heat to inaccessible areas where it’s wasted instead of benefitting from it.
Furthermore, cool air escaping from attics, the crawlspace, or other unconditioned spaces in which the ducts are situated will likely enter the ductwork and transfer to living areas and the hot air. This can reduce temperatures of heated air coming through the vents for supply. In turn, the homeowner adjusts the thermostat to create more heat which makes the system more difficult to compensate for the losses.
PREP that HEAVIFIERS
A lot of Pittsburgh homeowners make use of humidifiers for their entire homes to replenish moisture that is typically absent from winter air. The equipment is installed as part of your HVAC system and needs periodic maintenance.
The humidifier’s water panel should be replaced at least once each season. Make sure to do this prior to the start of the winter heating period to ensure the highest efficiency of the unit in winter.
- Clean and empty the humidifier’s water reservoir to eliminate microbes and mineral scales.
- Clean the housing’s exterior and intake vents that connect to the humidifier’s fan, where applicable.
- Check that the drain line is free of leaks.
RE-PROGRAMMING THERMOSTAT
If switching between heating and cooling modes is a matter of time, altering your temperature program settings is also advisable.
The temperature preferences of households will vary for cooling and heating, and the schedules can change according to the season, so setback intervals need to be modified.
Select comfortable but energy-efficient temperature settings during the period of your residence that is not occupied. A temperature of 68 degrees is recommended to maximize heating efficiency without compromising the quality of your life.
When the house is not in use and the thermostat is not in use, reduce it by about 10 degrees to save energy and reduce heating consumption. Temperatures set at 10 degrees or more for at least 8 hours per day could aid homeowners in reducing their energy use by 10% per year.
To set the settings for your fan, select AUTO. This option only permits the fan to operate when the heating system is in use. This prevents additional energy consumption as well as the sensation of the cold blast of air rushing into your vents while the fan does not have heat.
Is it time for a REPLACEMENT?
What happens if the HVAC technician suggests an upgrade of your system? Before you make any decisions, you must go to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Selecting and Replacing Heating and Cooling website.
It is feasible to replace only the furnace or cooling unit rather than installing a completely new system. However, replacing parts is sometimes the best option, mainly if your system is a few years old. The original and the new ones might be different. You’ll also save on the cost of labor if the entire item is replaced at same at the same time.
