During the coldest months of the year, your heating system is running full-time to keep up with the chilly weather. To protect your HVAC system from the strain, you need the best winter HVAC preparedness tips. If your HVAC system isn’t ready for the colder temperatures, it can lead to higher energy bills and uneven heating performance. Eventually, it can also cause complete system failure.
Luckily, figuring out how to prepare HVAC systems for winter isn’t difficult. With a few routine maintenance tips, a professional tune-up, and proactive care, you can make sure your family has a warm, comfortable winter this year.
Read on to discover the best HVAC maintenance guide for Portland’s winters.
Why Winter HVAC Preparedness Is Important
Before Portland’s cool and wet winters arrive, it’s essential to make sure your cold-weather HVAC checklist is complete. Through HVAC winter maintenance, you can enjoy a few key benefits.
- Avoid Unexpected Breakdowns: Through your winter preparations, you can decrease the likelihood of total HVAC failures in the middle of winter.
- Boost Your Home’s Energy Efficiency: When your HVAC system is working at its best, it doesn’t have to run as long. In turn, this improves your energy efficiency and reduces your monthly energy costs. Plus, insulating your home and sealing gaps prevents heat loss from taking place.
- Ensure the Safety of Your Home and Family: Gas leaks in supply lines or connections can be lethal, and poorly maintained furnaces can develop dangerous carbon monoxide leaks. With electrical furnaces, you also have to be wary of electric shock. By caring for your system, you can decrease the likelihood of safety issues.
- Extend the Unit’s Lifespan: When an HVAC system isn’t cared for properly, it can increase the wear on the system. Besides leading to more frequent repairs, poor maintenance can also shorten the unit’s lifespan.
- Keep Your HVAC Warranty Valid: If you have a manufacturer’s warranty still in effect, you likely need to perform HVAC maintenance to keep the warranty in effect.
Step-by-Step Winter HVAC Checklist
Through the following cold-weather HVAC checklist, you can make sure your heating system is prepared for cooler weather. If you have any problems taking care of your winter HVAC preparedness, you can reach out to our team of HVAC experts for professional help.
Replace or Clean Air Filters
A dirty, clogged air filter significantly reduces your home’s energy efficiency. When the air filter is clogged, it decreases the amount of airflow that can get into your system. As a result, your HVAC unit has to run longer to heat your home.
As a general rule, you should replace or clean your air filter at least once every one to three months. You can refer to the manufacturer’s guidance to see the recommended time for replacements. If you are using your unit more intensely, it’s a good idea to change the air filter more frequently than normal.
Inspect and Test the Thermostat
To make sure your HVAC system is ready for winter, test your thermostat. Set it to a temperature that is hotter than your home’s current air temperature. You should hear your furnace or heat pump kick on right away if it is working correctly. Additionally, you should use a separate thermometer to make sure your home’s thermostat is accurately reading your indoor temperature.
Over the long run, it’s a good idea to consider upgrading to a smart thermostat. These thermostats can be programmed with different schedules. Plus, you can change the temperature remotely from an app on your phone. Smart thermostats can also learn your preferences, leading to additional efficiency gains.
Schedule a Professional Heating Tune-Up
Before the first frost arrives, we recommend scheduling your heating system tune-up. You want to get this appointment out of the way before you need to use your HVAC system all the time.
During your professional HVAC tune-up, we’ll handle the following tasks.
- Inspect the heat exchanger, burner, and other components for signs of damage.
- Clean the unit.
- Lubricate moving parts.
- Perform safety checks, such as checking the carbon monoxide levels and ignition system.
- Check and tighten the electrical connections.
- Inspect the condensate drain line for any clogs.
Inspect Ductwork for Leaks and Blockages
If your home has leaky ducts, it can lower the energy efficiency of your heating and cooling system by as much as 20%. When ductwork leaks occur, conditioned air is allowed to escape into your attic or crawl space. Because of this, your system has to work harder to replace the lost air.
To avoid this issue, inspect your ducts for visible signs of holes, gaps, or tears. You can also call one of our HVAC technicians to have a professional ductwork inspection.
Clear Around Vents and Registers
When vents and registers are blocked, it changes the pressure in your HVAC system. This forces it to work harder, leading to premature repairs. Periodically, you should go around your house to check to see if furniture and rugs are blocking the airflow. Additionally, you can clean any dust buildup to prevent potential allergy issues.
Check Carbon Monoxide and Smoke Detectors
For your family’s safety, it’s critical to check your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. If they don’t make a noise when you press the test button, you need to get a new one. Additionally, you should replace any carbon monoxide detector that is between 5 and 7 years old. Smoke detectors should be replaced once they are older than 10 years old.
Check Outdoor HVAC Unit
As a part of your HVAC maintenance guide, take some time to inspect your outdoor HVAC unit. If you have a heat pump, the outdoor unit must be cleaned before winter. Remove any leaves, snow, or debris to ensure your heat pump is properly maintained, allowing for proper drainage and airflow.
If you are mechanically inclined, you can also clean the inside of the condenser unit. To do so, you first have to make sure the unit is turned off. As an added protection, switch your thermostat to off. Afterward, remove the top of the condenser unit. Then, you can use a special cleaning product and your garden hose to gently clean out the inside of the condenser unit. Because of how mechanically involved this step is, it’s generally a better idea to leave it to the experts instead of attempting to do it on your own.
Seal Gaps and Insulate
As a part of your heat pump and furnace winter prep, you should check your home for potential heat loss. Any exposed pipes or ducts can lose heat. Normally, you can wrap these pipes and ducts in special insulation so that they have an easier time maintaining the correct temperature.
Then, check your windows and doors for air leaks. If you feel a draft, there is likely an air leak nearby. You can use caulking to seal these gaps and prevent heat loss.
Signs Your Heating System May Already Need Attention
Besides completing the top HVAC safety tips for winter, you should also be proactive about calling for repairs. In most cases, HVAC systems don’t break down without some type of prior warning. You’ll likely notice an unusual noise, poor performance, or similar symptoms before a total HVAC failure occurs.
If you notice any of the following heating system issues, contact our team for a professional inspection and repair.
- Unusual Sounds: Different noises can indicate specific problems. For example, a banging noise may indicate ductwork problems or ignition issues. While screeching sounds are likely due to a failed blower motor, rattling noises mean that you likely have loose components.
- Uneven Performance: If your heating system has uneven performance, it may be due to a system failure, poor insulation, or another issue. You’ll need to reach out for professional HVAC repairs to determine the underlying cause.
- Non-Stop Run Times or Short Cycling: If your HVAC system appears to be running non-stop, it means that it is struggling to keep up. Dirty coils, an undersized unit, poor airflow, thermostat malfunctions, and similar issues can cause this to happen. Meanwhile, short cycles can happen because of an oversized unit, thermostat problems, low refrigerant, or poor airflow. In both cases, you’ll need a professional HVAC technician to diagnose the underlying cause of the problem.
- Unusual Smells: The smell of burning dust when you turn on your HVAC system is normal. As long as it goes away right away, you don’t have to worry. However, any ongoing burning odors indicate an electrical malfunction. The smell of rotten eggs represents a potential gas leak and is an immediate emergency. Additionally, the smell of exhaust fumes could indicate a blocked or leaking furnace flue pipe. Because this is a major safety risk, you should immediately call for emergency HVAC repairs and stop using your system.
- Increased Dust: If you notice increased dust, your HVAC system may have dirty ductwork or a duct leak.
- Higher-Than-Normal Energy Bills: Any time your energy bills skyrocket without an apparent reason, it’s a good idea to get your HVAC system checked out. When an HVAC system starts to fail or needs a repair, it starts requiring more energy to achieve the same performance level.
What To Expect During a Professional Winter HVAC Inspection
As a part of your winter HVAC preparedness, we recommend scheduling a heating system tune-up in the fall. During your heating tune-up, we’ll take care of the following tasks.
- Full Inspection: We’ll inspect the entire system for signs of potential damage or wear.
- Furnace Cleaning: During your HVAC inspection, we will clean all of the components, improving your home’s energy efficiency and air quality.
- Safety Checks: Our licensed HVAC technicians will test for carbon monoxide and make sure your ignition system is operating safely. If we notice any safety concerns, we’ll make sure to point them out and schedule repairs.
- Component Checks: We will inspect the blower motor and heat exchanger to ensure that they are working properly.
- Energy-Efficiency Evaluation: While estimates vary, as much as 45% of a home’s energy usage is devoted to just space heating. To help you keep your bills as low as possible, we’ll evaluate your energy efficiency and recommend necessary changes.
- Repair Recommendations: If we notice any indications of a problem, we will immediately recommend the best repair or replacement options for your HVAC system.
Schedule your pre-winter tune-up with Central Air Heating, Cooling & Plumbing before cold weather sets in!
Additional Tips for Homeowners
To prepare an HVAC for winter, give us a call. Through our convenient maintenance membership plan, you can get year-round protection and support. The plan includes a spring and fall maintenance tune-up, so you can ensure your HVAC system is ready for peak summer and winter usage. Plus, the plan also features a 20% discount on any heating and cooling repairs you need.
Besides joining the maintenance plan, there are other tips you can use to help your HVAC system work its best all season long. Before winter begins, you should reverse the direction of your ceiling fan’s motor. This ensures that the fan is pushing warm air down into the room, improving your family’s comfort. Because your family can feel warmer at a cooler temperature, this trick allows you to decrease the temperature of your home and spend less on energy costs.
Another way to maximize your energy savings is by taking advantage of solar heat. During the day, open up your curtains and blinds to let the sunshine in. This natural warmth can help to heat your home, lowering your energy needs.
Prepare Your HVAC System for Winter
Winter HVAC preparedness is essential for making sure your home is ready for Portland’s chilly winters. By being proactive about your heat pump and furnace winter prep, you can spot and repair minor issues before they escalate into major problems. Besides avoiding high-cost repairs down the road, this approach helps to ensure the safety and comfort of your family.
At Central Air Heating, Cooling & Plumbing, we have served local homeowners with top-rated heating services since 2001. Our trusted experts are known for their expertise, timely services, and exceptional results. Whether you need a heating system inspection or emergency HVAC repairs, our knowledgeable HVAC technicians are on hand to provide the immediate HVAC care you need.
Find out more about our HVAC winter maintenance and repairs by filling out our online form today.
