With the weather getting chillier, now is a good time to check on your HVAC unit. After all, you wouldn’t want it to break down in the middle of winter. WM Buffington Co., a top HVAC installation services company in the state, has compiled a to-do list below to help you get started.
Dirty air filters not only limit the airflow inside your home, they also lower indoor air quality. This is why you should replace them at least every three months, or as often as once a month in some cases. If your HVAC unit has reusable filters, make sure to follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions and let them dry completely before re-installing them.
Some homeowners conserve energy by closing off the vents in rooms they aren’t using. If this is something that you do, just be sure not to shut more than 20% of your home’s air vents. It's worth nothing that HVAC contractors say this isn’t an efficient method of reducing your heating costs—installing a zoning system would be an easier way of doing so. A zoning system allows you to set the temperature in different parts of your house using a centralized control system.
You might want to check the placement of your furniture as well to make sure that nothing is blocking the vents. The same goes for your furnace or heating equipment—avoid placing furniture and other items near them that could obstruct airflow or hinder their operation.
Once you’ve completed the aforementioned tasks, turn on your HVAC system to check if it’s working properly. However, regardless of whether it’s running properly or not, make sure to have an HVAC technician inspect your unit, preferably as soon as possible. Demand for HVAC services tends to spike in the winter, so if you don’t act quickly, you might not be able to book an appointment.
One way you can beat the expected increase in demand every winter and summer is to sign up for a maintenance plan; just make sure the contractor you’ll be working with has plenty of experience in the industry.
WM Buffington Co., a family-owned company with more than six decades’ worth of experience in the industry, offers a wide range of HVAC and plumbing services, including new heating system installation services. To schedule an appointment, call us at (717) 657-2451 or leave us a message here. We serve homeowners in Harrisburg, PA.
