Winterized Heat And Air Conditioning Systems

Getting your home's heating and air conditioning system ready for winter should never go overlooked

. In fact, besides significantly prolonging the life of your HVAC system, proper yearly maintenance can also reflect a surprisingly effective boost in efficiency. Basically, it all boils down to this - by preparing your heating and air conditioning system for the winter months, you'll save money in the short term and over the long haul.

For your convenience, here is a simple checklist of five items that need attention when preparing your home's heating and air conditioning system for the winter season:

1. Have the furnace inspected for leaks - This is more of a safety issue than anything, but it's extremely important for those with gas or oil furnaces. Due to corrosion and normal wear and tear, leaks can and often do happen - potentially causing deadly carbon monoxide to put your family at risk. An experienced technician should check the system for leaks yearly.

2. Change the filters - Filter maintenance should be done often, especially during the heating season. Because the airborne allergens and contaminants tend to be contained or "boxed in" to your home during the winter, keeping the filters clean is essential. If you have disposable filters, make sure they're replaced every several weeks throughout the season; the same goes for cleaning permanent filters.

3. Protect air conditioning compressors - If your home's heating and air conditioning system utilizes a dedicated air conditioning-only outdoor compressor unit (in other words, you don't have a heat pump or similar unit that runs the compressor year-round), it's wise to cover it up during the harsh winter months. If you're not sure about your exact system, ask a qualified HVAC technician to make sure.

4. Have the ductwork cleaned - For people with sensitive allergies or other respiratory ailments, it's probably a good idea to have your home's heating and air conditioning ducts cleaned a couple of times per year. However, at the very minimum, to keep everything operating at peak efficiency, it's recommended to have the ducts cleaned at least every couple of years.

5. Reprogram the thermostat - If your home has a programmable thermostat, it's important to realize that peak energy efficiency and comfort will be different during the heating season than it will for the air conditioning season. For best results, reprogramming the thermostat should be done when you start running furnace on a daily basis. And if you don't have a programmable thermostat, the minimal investment (usually less than $100) will probably save you that much in just one year - and that's not even considering how much more comfortable it will make your home.

It's easy to forget about, but preparing your home's heating and air conditioning system for the wintertime is well worth the peace of mind it promotes.

by: Krystal Miller

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