Autumn HVAC Tips: Get Your Home Ready for Cooler Temperatures
Re-familiarize Yourself with Your Heating System and Thermostat
What type of heating system do you have? Do you have a traditional furnace or an electrical heat pump? Perhaps you have a combination of heating systems, with a furnace keeping most of your home warm, while a ductless mini-split heats your garage? No matter what type of heating system you have, your first step to getting ready for fall and winter is to refresh your memory on your heater's various settings and general operation.
Additionally, if you have a smart thermostat, now is a great time to turn on its intuitive features. Many heating systems and smart thermostats have a hybrid heat and cool setting that automatically lets you move back and forth between heating and cooling. This is perfect for transitional seasons, like fall, where we experience cooler nights and mornings but afternoons may still get fairly hot. Your heat and cool setting can help keep your homeandrsquo;s temperature stable and save energy.
Keep reading for more tips on preparing for cooler weather.
Ensure Your Home Is Properly Insulated Now
Your homeandrsquo;s insulation is incredibly important when it comes to your comfort. While most newer homes have adequate insulation, if you have an older home, you may notice more drafts or that your home loses heat in the winter. This is due to older homes often not having enough insulation or the existing insulation losing its effectiveness. If your home does not have fiberglass insulation, you are more likely to experience insulation settling or degradation.
Frequently under-insulated areas include:
- Attics
- Crawl spaces
- Basements
- Garages
Poor insulation can make your home uncomfortable and raise your energy bills. When energy costs are rising significantly, you cannot afford to have a poorly-insulated home. The fall is a great time to inspect your insulation to ensure that it is in good shape and sufficient for your needs.
Not sure if your insulation is in good shape? Call Valley Heating, Cooling, Electrical and Solar. Our team can schedule an insulation inspection and answer all your questions.
Check Window and Door Seals
Have you ever noticed a draft in certain areas of your home? Or, do you often find that your home has difficulty retaining heat? It could be related to leaky doors or windows. Much like insulation, window and door seals are often overlooked when homeowners struggle with heating or cooling loss. However, if these areas are not properly sealed, all the warm air your heater produces will leak outside. This will increase your comfort and heating costs.
Schedule Annual Heater Maintenance
Fall is also the perfect time to schedule maintenance with one of the heating specialists at Valley. During your service visit, our team will review your entire system, identify potential problems, change your air filters and clean your furnace. This is also a great time to discuss any issues with your HVAC system, such as strange sounds or smells youandrsquo;ve noticed while your AC or heater is running.
We are often asked if duct cleaning is part of routine fall HVAC maintenance. Typically, no. While your air ducts require occasional cleaning and balancing, this does not need to happen yearly. Generally, most ductwork only needs to be cleaned every three to five years. However, if you are experiencing air quality issues or other problems, such as heating or cooling loss, let us know. We can inspect your ductwork and diagnose the problem during your maintenance visit.
If you ever have a question, donandrsquo;t hesitate to let us know. Our technicians love talking all things HVAC and our goal is to always help you get the most out of your system. Give us a call today.
September at Valley
This month, we are all enjoying the back-to-school season that brings cooler temperatures and fun fall activities. In addition to looking for ways to prep our HVAC systems for the coming autumn season, we are also discussing the versatility of ductless heating. Most often associated with air conditioning, ductless mini-split systems also offer energy-efficient, reliable heating. But is a ductless system right for your home? Check out our blog to find out.
As the end of the year approaches, we are also preparing for the coming changes to national HVAC energy efficiency requirements. As of January 1, 2023, central air conditioning and air-source heat pumps will have to comply with new efficiency requirements from the U.S. Department of Energy. In the blog, we discuss what this means for you, especially if youandrsquo;ve purchased a new system as part of a new build or home remodeling project.