We often prepare our pipes for the long winter ahead, but do we really need to winterize HVAC systems? It may slip your mind, but yes, experts deem this an important safeguard for your climate control system as you head into the colder months.

Miller’s Heating & Air Conditioning can help you with cold-weather HVAC preparation. In the meantime, keep reading to learn how to winterize your HVAC system.

Perform Basic Heating System Care

Furnace winterization gets the unit ready to face a busy season. In the fall, before freezing temperatures arrive, remember to:

• Inspect the furnace: Contact your HVAC company to inspect the furnace for problems, lubricate moving parts, and clean components. Doing so will keep the furnace in great condition.
• Do a test run: A technician needs to test the system to ensure it fires up correctly and functions as it should.
• Change the filter: A dirty filter will make your furnace work too hard to heat your home efficiently. Change out your filter so that the unit has a fresh start.

Tend To the Air Conditioner

Getting the air conditioner in shape to sit idle for a while is an important lesson in how to winterize your HVAC system. If you don’t do it correctly, you risk the cooling system malfunctioning by the time spring arrives, and then the summer heat creeps in.

To prepare the air conditioner before the cold snap, technicians will do the following:

• Prevent power surges: Cut off all power from the air conditioner once you no longer need it to work. Power surges cause many problems, which you can avoid by unplugging the system.
• Remove debris: Remove leaves, litter, or critters that make their way inside the HVAC unit over the summer. Otherwise, they’ll attract bigger problems while the system sits idle over the winter. Leaf piles create the perfect hotel for rodents, birds, bugs, and anything else that needs shelter from the cold.
• Insulate the refrigerant: The system’s coolant needs to stay at a specific temperature, even in winter. Will the insulation hold up? It should also prevent the refrigerant from warming up too much on warmer winter days.

Inspect the Ductwork

Sparkling-clean ductwork is one of the often-forgotten HVAC maintenance tips, but it allows technicians to check for developing holes or cracks. Ductwork holes are bad news because heated or cooled air will leak out into the attic instead of going to the rooms you’re trying to keep comfortable. You are going to be colder than you should be and waste good money on controlled air you’re not even accessing.

Why not let an HVAC technician assess the ductwork for damage and proper insulation? Then, you can stay warm while saving money thanks to peak HVAC energy efficiency.

Call Miller’s Heating & Air Conditioning in the Fall

If you’re wondering how to winterize your HVAC system this year, just call Miller’s Heating & Air Conditioning to help you prepare your system for the colder weather. You don’t have to worry about an HVAC winter checklist when you rely on us. Call us today at (757) 623-6600 for a free estimate.