When the thermometer drops below freezing, your home’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system works overtime to keep your family warm and safe. Taking a few proactive steps can help you avoid costly breakdowns, maintain efficiency, and ensure your system is ready to handle the frigid weather.
1. Check and Change Your Air Filter
This is one of the easiest and most crucial maintenance tasks you can perform.
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Why it Matters: A dirty filter restricts airflow, forcing your furnace or heat pump to work harder and longer. This reduces efficiency, increases energy bills, and can even lead to overheating and system failure.
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Actionable Tip: Check your filter monthly during the heating season. If it’s grey and visibly dirty, replace it immediately. Go the extra mile and schedule annual heating maintenance. Click here to read your blog about Why Your Furnace Needs a Tune-Up.
2. Clear Vents and Registers
Ensure that all the heat your system generates can freely circulate through your home.
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Why it Matters: Blocked vents disrupt the system’s ability to properly balance air pressure and distribute heat. Never close off more than 20% of the vents in your home, as this can put undue stress on your furnace.
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Actionable Tip: Walk through your home and ensure no furniture, rugs, or drapes are covering supply and return vents.
3. Inspect the Area Around Your Outdoor Unit
If you have a heat pump, the outdoor unit is essential for heating your home, even when it’s cold outside.
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Why it Matters: Snow, ice, and debris can hinder the unit’s ability to draw in or release air, which impacts its efficiency and performance.
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Actionable Tip: After a snowfall or ice storm, gently clear away any accumulation from the top and sides of the unit. Never try to chip away ice, as you could damage the delicate fins. Ensure there is at least two feet of clearance around the unit.
4. Program Your Thermostat Wisely
When temperatures plummet, sudden, deep temperature changes can strain your system.
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Why it Matters: Asking your furnace to raise the temperature by more than 3-5 degrees all at once forces it into a high-demand, inefficient running cycle (known as “recovery”).
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Actionable Tip: If you use a programmable or smart thermostat, keep the difference between your “away” or “sleep” temperature and your “comfort” temperature relatively small (e.g., 65°F at night, 68°F during the day).
5. Prevent Frozen Pipes
While not strictly an HVAC issue, frozen pipes are a major threat in below-freezing weather.
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Why it Matters: Burst pipes cause significant water damage and can happen quickly if your furnace fails or if an area of your home, like a basement or garage, is not heated adequately.
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Actionable Tip: Insulate exposed pipes (especially in crawl spaces and attics). Open cabinet doors under sinks to allow warmer indoor air to circulate near plumbing. On the coldest nights, consider letting a faucet drip slightly to relieve pressure in the lines.
6. Know When to Call a Professional
Don’t wait until the middle of an ice storm to find out your furnace is failing.
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Why it Matters: A small issue, like a strange noise or an inconsistent temperature, can quickly become a major, expensive repair if ignored during peak usage.
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Actionable Tip: Call Poormans Heating & Air immediately if you notice:
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Strange odors (especially burning or gas smells).
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Loud grinding, scraping, or banging noises.
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The unit blowing cold air.
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The furnace running constantly and failing to reach the set temperature.
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