As the days get shorter and the weather gets cooler, it’s time to think about getting your heating system ready for the winter ahead. Although Southwest Florida experiences a mild fall, it’s a good time to check your heating system for the upcoming winter. You don’t want to wait for cold fronts to come and then be left with a heater that isn’t working!
For our snowbirds heading down, this is a reminder to make sure your heating system is in good condition before you come to Florida! Read on to use our helpful tips to ensure that your heating system is ready to keep you warm all winter long.
Schedule Professional Maintenance
One of the very first things you’ll want to do is schedule professional maintenance service. An experienced HVAC technician will be able to inspect, repair, and prep your heating system to take on the colder winter weather. Maintenance service will ensure that your heating system is working at peak efficiency so that you’re not wasting money on an inefficient system. Additionally, it will give you the chance to learn about any parts that need to be repaired so that you can have them fixed before you need to rely on your system every day.
Program Your Thermostat
If you don’t have one already, it’s highly advisable to invest in a smart thermostat for your home. This type of programmable thermostat will allow you to set your desired temperature for different times, depending on your family’s unique schedule. Additionally, many smart thermostats can connect to Wi-Fi, enabling you to control your home’s temperature remotely. This feature is especially useful if you plan to go out of town, as it allows you to adjust the temperature settings from anywhere, ensuring your home is comfortable when you return and saving energy while you’re away. Some newer smart thermostats will even monitor your energy usage and provide you with suggestions on how to lower your usage to save money.
Replace Air Filter
As the weather transitions from summer to fall, it’s a good idea to replace the air filter in your HVAC system. Ideally, any time you hold the filter up to a light source and you can’t see through it, you should replace it with a fresh filter. It’s a good rule of thumb to have extra filters on hand so that you can easily replace them when necessary.
Consider Duct Cleaning Service
Your ductwork can get dirty over time as it circulates air throughout your home. Experts recommend that you have your ducting cleaned by a licensed professional every three to five years. However, if you or a member of your family has severe allergies or a respiratory condition, you should opt for cleaning your ductwork more often. This cleaning service will not only boost your indoor air quality but also enhance the efficiency and overall longevity of your heating system.
Check Your Vents for Obstructions
If you have a forced-air heating system, then you’ll have a series of vents in each room of your home. These need to be clear of any obstructions to ensure adequate airflow in and out of the vent, depending on whether its a supply or return vent. Now is the perfect time to take a few moments to walk around your home and inspect each vent to ensure it’s free from obstructions.
Test Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
If you have a fuel-burning heating system, then you likely have both smoke and carbon monoxide detectors for safety reasons. You should have these on each floor of your home and by every bedroom. You’ll want to push the test button on each detector to ensure that it’s working properly and replace the batteries if you need to.
Seal Up Air Leaks
Air leaks can develop on the exterior walls of your home and allow cold air to easily seep into your home. To stop that from happening, it’s advisable to seal up any air leaks that you find. Run your hand around your doors and windows to see if you feel a difference in temperature as that will indicate a leak. You can use weatherstripping or caulking to seal up leaks. Furthermore, check light switches and outlets on exterior walls for leakage. If you have air leaks, you can use a special foam insert that sits behind the cover plate to keep the cold air out.
Switch Ceiling Fan Directions
Ceiling fans are a great addition to your HVAC system to help circulate desired air throughout each room. In the wintertime, you want to set your ceiling fans to spin in a clockwise direction. This setting will force the hot air from the top of your rooms out and down to the floor. This can help to keep each room feeling comfortable so that you don’t have to run your heating system excessively to stay warm.
Outdoor Condenser Unit Clearing
If your heating system is a heat pump that uses an outdoor condenser unit, then you’ll want to prep your outside unit. Walk around it and remove any debris that is stuck against the condenser coils. Trim back any shrubbery that is within 3 feet of the unit to ensure it has adequate airflow to operate efficiently. Furthermore, if any of the fins are bent on your unit, you’ll want to straighten them back out.
Test Your System
The last preparation step to ensure that your heating system is ready to take on the cold winter season is to test it. You want to turn the thermostat to a temperature that is at least five degrees hotter than the ambient temperature in your room. You should hear your system kick on and start blowing warm air.
You’ll want to check the supply vent in each one of your rooms to ensure that an adequate amount of hot air is coming out. You may smell a slight burning odor when you first turn on your heating system. This is likely just dust burning off your system’s internal components and should dissipate within a few minutes.
Beef Up Your Insulation
Insulation is a necessary barrier that provides resistance against changes in temperature. The higher the R-value your insulation has, the more resistant it will be to colder temperatures. If your home is lacking insulation or doesn’t have insulation that meets the minimum R-value recommendation for your area of the country, you may want to consider investing in insulation for your home.
Consider an Upgrade
If your existing heating system is over 10 years old, you may want to consider an upgrade. Not only are breakdowns much less likely with a new heating system, but newer systems offer efficiency levels that older systems simply can’t match. Newer systems can even offer great features like alerting you when filter changes are needed, zone temperature control, and so much more. You should talk with an HVAC technician to learn about new systems that could be ideal for your home.
Reliable Heating Service
Plumbing & Cooling Nerds offers reliable heating service for the entire Bonita Springs, FL area. We can also assist with all of your cooling, plumbing, ductwork cleaning, indoor air quality, ductless mini-split, and water filtration needs. Give us a buzz today to schedule your next service appointment.
