While you appreciate the crisp air at the onset of autumn, back in your mind, you would be wondering how to prepare your HVAC system for the season.
Seasonable HVAC maintenance is crucial, given that these systems go a long way in determining indoor air quality. At Hurliman Heating, we highly recommend seasonal HVAC maintenance as you near the winter months. You should expect to rely on your HVAC system to keep your family warm and comfortable. So, it’s crucial to tune your system up and ensure that it performs well throughout the chilly months.
Why is it important to prepare your HVAC system for the fall?
ACs, heaters, and furnaces need regular maintenance to deliver the desired performance quality. Before the fall, it’s always wise to hire a licensed HVAC technician to inspect the system. No family would want to experience the hardships of coping with freezing air in case the system malfunctions. So, we recommend checking the furnace, boiler, heat pump, and other crucial components. This ensures that your HVAC system will be ready to warm up the indoor air over the next few months.
Besides, during this seasonal maintenance, we check if the unit is performing optimally with all the components in good shape. Remember, repair charges would be very high in case the system malfunctions in the dead of winter.
Here’s what we take care of in your HVAC system during the pre-fall maintenance service.
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Enhancing heat exchange by cleaning dirty coils
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Lubricating the blower motor bearings
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Tightening loose wiring connections to prevent electrical damage
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Examining the connection between the heating system and the thermostat
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Checking the condition of the safety features and heat exchanger
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Cleaning your HVAC system to remove debris and dirt from the system
During winter, your home would need more heat, making the HVAC system toil harder. So, our pre-fall HVAC inspection objective is to prepare your system for this challenge. This way, you can prevent severe damage to the system while trying to make it overwork.
Preparing your HVAC system for the fall
We recommend the following measures to reduce your energy bills during the fall and prevent potential HVAC issues.
1. Replacing air filters
One of the best ways to ensure better airflow in your HVAC system is to replace the air filters. Pollutants, allergens, and dirt keep accumulating in these filters. This ultimately robs your HVAC system of its performance and efficiency. Replacing the air filters can fine-tune the performance of the system.
On the other hand, failing to change the filters results in the circulation of contaminated air inside your home. Changing the air filters of your HVAC system can also make a difference of 5% to 10% in your energy bills.
2. Inspect the ducts
The last thing you would expect is a leak in the air ducts during the winter. This can lead to significant energy drainage. During the inspection, we check the air ducts for leaks and seal them to prevent energy wastage. We often come across leaky ducts in many homes and offices. These issues prevent your interiors from accumulating enough heat. Besides, we recommend our clients get their ductwork sealed for optimal results.
3. Cleaning the outdoor unit
While you remain obsessed with your indoor unit, you might have overlooked the outdoor compressor. In case you have been neglecting it for so long, it might have debris and dirt accumulated around it. This can mess up the airflow, preventing the system from operating to its perfection.
We recommend doing away with the trash, branches, and leaves accumulated under the outdoor unit. Our experts also hose down the compressor and unit coils to eliminate dust and grime.
4. Test your heating system
Well, you might not need high temperatures in autumn. However, it’s time to get your system tested for its functional integrity. What would you do if you find your system underperforming in the midst of winter? If necessary, you can get a few parts replaced or repaired.
Also, when you turn the heat on, you may not like the strange odour. It might take you some time to get habituated to it.
5. Make sure to re-caulk
Re-caulking the pipes, doors, and windows would take time. So, it’s advisable to get your home ready for the harsh climate well in advance. Leaks around the window frames would amount to heat loss throughout the winter. The same goes for spaces around your doors and pipes.
With professional inspection, you can detect possible air leaks and seal the vents. This would help you cut down energy wastage, besides retaining indoor heat.
6. Tune up your system
Remember, your HVAC system won’t get the next maintenance before spring. It would be logical to tune the system up to enhance its output. At Hurliman Heating, we recommend tuning up the furnace twice a year.
As a part of this tune-up, our experts carry out professional cleaning and ensure that the system performs optimally. If your system has small technical glitches, this would be the best time to fix them. Ignoring them would simply aggravate the problem in the coming months.
7. Test your carbon monoxide detectors
If you have boilers or furnaces in your home, pre-fall maintenance would be the right time to check the carbon monoxide alarms. The gas gets released as a result of incomplete combustion of fuel. Being odourless and colourless, it can go undetected and cause health issues.
Now, issues in the heat exchanger prevent the system from safely evacuating this gas outdoors. In case carbon monoxide gas finds its way into your home. Inhaling the gas can even lead to death. We test your carbon monoxide detectors for their performance and replace their batteries as a part of our pre-fall maintenance.
Endnote
Now that you know why we recommend inspecting your HVAC system before the fall, make sure not to skip the routine service. Appointing a professional inspection with us would be the best strategy to brace your HVAC system for the winter months. We will inspect your furnace, AC, and boilers and make the necessary adjustments to ensure that the system delivers its best performance throughout the cold months.
