Central Air Conditioner Winter Maintenance: Now that the fall season is officially here, and with the winter season soon to follow, it’s now time to utilize your home’s HVAC system in order to ensure that you’re kept as warm and comfortable as possible. However, if your unit isn’t operating as well as it should be, then the amount of warmth and comfort that you’re hoping to experience likely won’t be achieved, thereby resulting in a higher amount of energy bills that you will have to pay.
Here are four of the most important HVAC and central air conditioner winter maintenance tips to consider making note of in order to ensure that not only will your unit be able to function normally, but that you will also be able to save money in the long run as well.
*First and foremost, it’s always important to have your HVAC unit inspected in order to ensure that it is operating as properly as it should be. Generally, this should be done every year during the fall so that it is better prepared for it to meet all of the harsh demands of the winter season.
*You will also need to ensure that you not only change the air filter in your unit, but also clean all of your vents as well. Typically, the air filter should be changed once per month and is perhaps one of the most important things that you can do in terms of maintaining your HVAC unit. At most, the filter can be replaced every three months. Regardless, you should consider selecting a specific day to check the filter, such as the first day of the month or the last day of the month. Furthermore, on the same day in which the filter will be replaced, you should also take the time to clean all of your vents by vacuuming them. Not only will this keep them clean, but it will also allow the warm air to flow much easier as well, thereby allowing temperature regulation throughout your home to be much easier.
*In the event that your HVAC unit is old, you will need to consider replacing it. Generally, this is something that should be done if a unit is more than ten years old. If this is the case, consult with a qualified technician and obtain their professional opinion on the overall longevity of the system itself. According to statistics form the United States Department of Energy, by replacing an existing older unit with a higher-efficiency one, your annual energy bill can be reduced by as much as between 20% and 40%.
*Installing a programmable thermostat is another useful tip to consider making note of. This is because the correct temperature in a home can depend on who all is actually in the home at the time. Whenever no one is in the home, the correct temperature can end up being much lower than what is generally desired. Oftentimes, most homeowners tend not to adjust their thermostats when they leave since it can sometimes be too much to do. Additionally, they may also forget to do so or they may not want to return to a home that ends up getting cold.
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