Do You Have a Properly Winterized HVAC Unit in Your Home?

We’re already using our heating equipment in the Lorain area, but before you turned it on, did you take steps to ensure you have a properly winterized HVAC?

It could be that if you’re like most homeowners, you’re not really sure what you should do to ensure you have a winterized HVAC unit. The good news is that it really isn’t very hard. Let’s take a look at some of the ways to ensure you have a winterized HVAC unit.

Clean Up Outdoors

Did you clean up the backyard this fall? If not, that’s where you should start with winterizing the HVAC. Take a look around the outdoor condenser. Clear away all weeds, leaves, and other debris around the base. High vegetation and leaves make for a cozy winter habitat for creatures such as ants and rodents. Clip grass around the base.

Trim back shrubbery that may have grown over the condenser. Also, cut back tree limbs that may be hanging over the condenser so that they don’t fall on top of it in a winter storm.

Some homeowners choose to cover the condenser with a specially made cover. However, this can be an invitation to rodents and other pests to come inside the condenser and make themselves at home, and you don’t want ants or other creatures burrowing in for the winter. It may be best to fit a piece of plywood over the top of the condenser to keep out leaves, debris, and fallen icicles. Anchor it with rocks or bricks or tie it down with cords and tent stakes.

Clean Up Inside

Make sure you start the heating season with a clean HVAC filter. If you use a quality, quilted filter, you probably won’t need to change it more than once every three months, though you should change it more often if your house is dusty, if you have shedding pets or you burn candles.

Clean the HVAC vents thoroughly, removing dust and clearing away obstructions that could impede the airflow.

Most importantly, schedule preventative maintenance on your furnace or heat pump.

For more on a winterized HVAC, contact Energy 1 Heating and Air Conditioning.