Winterizing Your Air Conditioner

Heating and cooling your home is responsible for about 43% of your monthly utility bill (and that’s assuming everything is working properly). In order to ensure that you’re not spending a small and unnecessary fortune on your HVAC systems, you should focus on properly winterizing them in the fall. Not only will this limit downtime during the winter season, but it should also turn up any potential problems that could cost you down the line. You still have plenty of time to winterize your HVAC system, but it’s better to get it done as soon as possible so you don’t have to worry about it.

There are a few mistakes that homeowners often make, though, when winterizing their HVAC units. Here are a few Do’s and Don’ts to be aware of when it comes to winterizing HVAC systems.

Do have an HVAC inspection

Before you do anything else, you should have all your units inspected by a professional. Without bi-annual HVAC inspections, your units might be in jeopardy of completely breaking the next time you need them.

Don’t forget to check your thermostats

Make sure that you’re not turning on your heat while your thermostat is still set to air conditioning mode because that can lead to some costly issues. You need to check your thermostat’s programming and might have to set the proper settings yourself. If you have a programmable thermostat, don’t forget to update the settings for the new season.

Do clean your HVAC filters

Even high quality HVAC units can get extremely dirty from time to time, which is why it’s important to clean their air filters regularly. If you’re unsure of how to do this, simply ask a professional HVAC repair service and they can help you out.

Don’t wait too long to turn on your furnace

A major mistake that a lot of homeowners make is waiting for a very cold night to turn on the furnace for the first time. Waiting too long is not only uncomfortable for everyone in your home, but it will lead to other costly problems as well. If there is a problem with your furnace, it’s better to find out now than on a freezing cold winter night.

Do remove any flammable items

It’s never a good idea to leave flammable items near your HVAC systems – whether they are in use or not. Take a look around your home and basement and keep all your flammable items far away from your heating systems. If there are any boxes of Halloween decorations or summer clothes that have been tucked away for the winter, make sure they haven’t accidentally been placed too close to a water heater, furnace, or other HVAC appliances.

Don’t try to do everything yourself

If you don’t know how to properly winterize your HVAC units, you need to call someone who does. There are professionals who do this for a reason — to assist you in every way possible. If you try and provide HVAC maintenance yourself, you might end up damaging your units even more.

If you need help winterizing give us a call at (910) 207-9000 or CLICK HERE to submit an inquiry.