Easing the Strain on Your HVAC System This Winter
The extreme temperatures of summer and winter create the hardest work for your heating and cooling system. As we move into winter each year, you may be concerned about how the approaching cold days will affect your heat. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to minimize the stress on your HVAC.
Get It Serviced
It’s always good for your system to have it professionally serviced. The technician will check the system from top to bottom, doing a deep cleaning and performance check to ensure that the system is in top condition and ready for the tough weather ahead.
The professional HVAC maintenance visit may also uncover some problems that you may not have noticed yet. If that’s the case, your technician will be able to recommend and schedule whatever repairs are needed to prevent a breakdown later on. When one part fails, it often damages other parts as well, making the total repair bill a lot bigger. A breakdown could also leave your family without heat for days during very cold weather, making the house uncomfortable and posing the risk of frozen pipes. Scheduling regular service is a great way to reduce stress on your system and avoid an expensive and inconvenient breakdown.
Change the Filters
The single biggest reason that HVAC systems get overworked is dirty filters, and it’s easy to understand why. Every bit of air that the system blows must pass through a filter, so the more congested that filter is, the harder the system must work to force the air through it. This extra work can also slow the rate at which the system warms the house, so the system may run longer and cycle more frequently.
Fortunately, this is an easy fix. Your system may have filters in the return registers, the outdoor unit, or in the air handler. If you’re not sure which locations have a filter, ask your technician during a service visit to show you where all the filters are located. Make a note of the sizes you’ll need and keep extras on hand. Change them according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. With a good filter change schedule, you’ll make a big difference in the workload on your HVAC.
Clean Up Outside
Just as your indoor components need clean air to function properly, your outdoor unit should have an unobstructed flow of air for efficient operation. Of course, the outdoor unit is often one of those things that’s out of sight and out of mind, but it’s very important to take some time to check on it periodically.
Make sure that you haven’t stored things too close to the outdoor unit. These obstructions can slow the movement of air into the system and make it work harder to generate the warm air you need inside. It’s also important to clear away any weeds, shrubs, or other plants that may have grown toward the outdoor unit during the summer. As leaves fall off the trees each autumn, they may accumulate around the outdoor unit and congest its air movement.
Finally, avoid constructing anything above the unit. An upstairs deck should be high enough to be out of the way, but before placing any type of roof or shelter over your outdoor unit, consult with the manufacturer to make sure you’re leaving enough clearance.
Adjust Your Thermostat
This is probably the most common advice people hear when it comes to reducing the strain on an HVAC system, but the advice has evolved a little in recent years. For years, the idea was to turn down the heat before everyone leaves for the day, then turn it back up as the family returns home. Of course, that forces the heat to run for a long time to take away the day’s chill, making the house a little cold for the first ones to get home. That often triggers someone to turn the heat up even more.
The development of programmable and smart thermostats has made it easy to save work for your HVAC while avoiding that cold return home. You can program the thermostat to activate the heat just before everyone gets home so that the house is comfortable for them. With a smart thermostat, you can even keep an eye on temperatures from wherever you are, allowing you to adjust your thermostat based on changing needs.
Use Solar Warmth
Your best partner in your efforts to reduce the strain on your HVAC can sometimes be the sun. A clear day, even with cold air temperatures, can still provide some helpful solar heat that will keep your home a little bit warmer. It will make the day a little easier for your HVAC.
The key is to manage that sunlight. The blinds and drapes on your south-facing windows should be left open during the day, unless you feel this could cause security issues. This will create a greenhouse effect in your home. That will chip in a little bit toward keeping the temperature where you want it without asking your heating system to do all the work. You might also be able to cut a few limbs on nearby trees to improve sunlight exposure.
Make Your House Weather-Tight
One of the worst things for your heating system is to allow warm air to escape from the house. Every bit of warmth that goes outside is a little more warm air that the system has to replace, so it can be very beneficial to seal up the house.
Start with the best-known areas for air leaks, the windows and doors. It’s very common for drafts to develop in those locations as a house ages and settles. Experts can find faults and use tools such as a quality caulk to fill all the gaps, cracks, and holes they find.
Check your door sweeps, too. Their rubber gaskets may be cracked or even missing. The threshold may also need some adjustment to keep a tight seal below the door. You might need to replace the gaskets around doors, including those on the bottom of your garage doors.
One common place that a lot of people forget about is the scuttle or pull-down ladder that provides access to the attic. These are typically not insulated at all, so they may allow a lot of warm air to escape the living space. You can add weatherstripping to the inside of its opening to tighten things up a little bit and reduce energy loss.
Our air sealing services pros at Revival Heating and Cooling can even do it for you, and they can take the added step of sealing your ductwork and other areas like your chimney cap and exhaust dampers.
Get Your HVAC Ready for Winter Today!
The best way to keep winter’s chill from straining your HVAC is to let a professional help you get it ready for the season. Our team at Revival Heating and Cooling is an experienced group of trained HVAC services professionals who can prepare your system for winter in Portland and Vancouver. We can also do repairs, conversions from oil to gas, and installation of new systems. Give us a call today.