When the winter arrives in Summerville, South Carolina, a good HVAC system can keep your family comfortable and healthy. There are a number of ways to prepare your home and HVAC system for colder weather to protect your family’s comfort during the winter. Here are eight of them:
Clean the Gutters
It’s always a good idea to make sure your gutters are clear of debris, especially after the trees lose their leaves. This is especially important in the winter because if your gutters clog, water can sit and freeze, causing ice dams and damage to your roof. Give it a quick sweep-through right after the trees are bare in the fall to prepare your roof for winter.
Replace Weatherstripping
The weatherstripping around your front and back doors are there to keep the cold air out and the warm inside. Run your hand around the edges of the doors in your home that lead outside. If you can feel cold air leaking through, it’s time to change your weatherstripping. This will help seal your home’s warm air and save you money on your utility bills.
Turn Off Outside Faucets
Before it starts dropping below freezing, be sure your outside water faucets are tightly shut. You’ll also want to remove any water hoses and make sure they’re empty. If you have a sprinkler system, shut it off and drain it. This job may require the help of a professional.
Clean Your Air Vents
Ensure that the air circulating through your home is as clean as it can be by cleaning your air vents. You may be able to remove the vents to rinse them out and clean under the vents. If your ductwork is especially dirty, you can hire an HVAC service technician to clean it out for you. Cleaning your vents and ducts will also improve the indoor air quality. As a result, you’ll breathe easier and even sleep better in your home.
Replace Your Air Filter
While we’re on the subject of indoor air quality, you should also make a habit of replacing your HVAC system’s air filter before winter arrives. As your air filter does its job, it gets more clogged with the dirt and debris it picks up. The more clogged it gets, the harder your HVAC system has to work to push air through it. This extra work requires more energy, which can cost you on your utility bills.
Switch Your Ceiling Fans
Here’s a bit of trivia you may not be aware of: Modern ceiling fans spin both clockwise and counter-clockwise. Notice the tilt of the fan blades. If they’re tilted down in the direction they’re spinning, your fan is in winter mode. If they’re tilted up in the direction they’re spinning, it’s in summer mode. Since hot air rises, these blades can push that air back down toward the room. To change your fan’s direction, flip the switch that’s just about the light fixture — after you turn the fan off, of course.
Check Your Insulation
A properly insulated home is a properly heated house. The insulation in your walls and attic is there to keep your heated air in and the cold out. Check to make sure your home is properly insulated, or have an HVAC service technician check it for you if you’re unsure.
Schedule HVAC Maintenance
Having a trusted HVAC service technician inspect your system is a good rule of thumb before the hardest part of winter comes. A good service technician will address situations that may cause problems when your HVAC system has to work overtime to keep your home cozy. Though there are some tasks you can take on yourself to prepare your home for winter, a certified service technician should complete most.
When you’re ready to prepare your home against the harsher winter months, give our team at Berkeley Heating & Air Conditioning a call at (843) 277-6030. Come January and February, a tune-up may make the difference between a comfortable home and an unpleasant house.
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