The holiday season is coming soon. Whether you’re going to have family and friends visit from out of town or you’re planning to spend more time indoors, you need to make sure that your HVAC system is prepared for the weather changes. Here are some maintenance tips that will help you get your heating and cooling system ready for the season.
1. Replace Your HVAC Filter
Your HVAC filter keeps dust, pollen, and other pollutants out of your home’s air ducts. Naturally, it does get clogged with dust over time and needs to be replaced. While there are filters that are said to last up to nine months, you should at least check your filter monthly. Since your entire HVAC system will be working harder this winter, you should have a fresh filter for November and December just to be on the safe side. This is especially important if you’re going to have guests this holiday season. Some of your guests could have severe allergies, and you don’t want to risk making them worse with a dirty HVAC filter.
2. Program Your Thermostat for the Winter
If you have a programmable thermostat, program it now so it will be ready for the winter months. The ideal setting for a thermostat in the winter is 68 degrees Fahrenheit when you’re home and awake, although you can set it to a lower temperature at night or when nobody is home. If you’re going to have company for the holidays, you might want to set it for a lower temperature. Having more people in your home will raise the temperature slightly, so a thermostat setting that is comfortable for you now might be too high for a crowded house.
3. Check Your Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detectors
You should make sure that your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors are always working, but these devices are especially important if you’re having family and friends visit for the holidays. You need to make sure that everyone in your home is safe, so test all of your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors, and replace any dead batteries. If you have guests who will be staying in a part of your home that doesn’t get a lot of use, set up some working detectors there if you haven’t already.
4. Clean Your Air Ducts
Your home’s air ducts should be cleaned at least once every three to five years. If you know that it’s been that long since your last duct cleaning, contact AAA Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning to schedule a cleaning now before any holiday guests arrive. Once again, you can never be sure if any of your guests will have severe allergies that could be made worse by dusty air vents.
Even if you don’t need to schedule a full duct cleaning, you should at least take a look at your air vents. Make sure that they’re all open and relatively clear of dust.
5. Clean Your House
Cleaning your house does more than make it look presentable for holiday guests. It removes dust that might otherwise blow through your air vents and lowers your home’s air quality. Move furniture around to reduce clutter, and dust everything thoroughly. Pay close attention to your air vents as they can collect a lot of dust.
6. Check for Drafts
If you want to get the most out of your HVAC system this winter, check to make sure that there aren’t any drafts coming from your doors or windows. This is usually a simple matter of feeling for cold spots and drafts as you walk by closed windows, but don’t hesitate to contact AAA Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning to check for drafts elsewhere that you might miss. Once you do find some, seal them with weather stripping or caulk.
7. Contact AAA Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning in Huntingdon Valley, PA to Schedule an HVAC Inspection
You should schedule HVAC maintenance at least once every year, and the time before the holiday season is the perfect time for it. You probably haven’t turned up your heat too much yet, so there’s still time to fix any minor problems that our technicians might catch, and you won’t have to contend with everyone’s busy holiday schedules.
Our technicians at AAA Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning can inspect your system and perform a thorough tune-up. Other services we offer include furnace installations and air quality services.
For more information about our HVAC services or to schedule a tune-up, contact AAA Brothers Heating & Air Conditioning in Huntingdon Valley, PA today.
