6 AC Maintenance Tips for This Winter
AC Maintenance Tips for Optimizing Your HVAC System and Indoor Comfort
Fall is finally here, and the temperatures are dropping to reflect the season change. Pumpkins and straw bales decorate front porches and pumpkin spice coffee is once more available at your favorite coffee shop. For the next few months, the HVAC setting will be resting on the HEAT indicator, engaging the furnace instead of the air conditioner. Here are a few tips to improve your system’s performance and increase the comfort it provides.
AC Maintenance Tip 1
Americans spend about 90% of their winter-time hours indoors, so air quality is very important. This is also the cold and flu season—all kinds of airborne illnesses are floating around frequently visited spaces. Be sure to keep the air filter changed, at least once every three months. (This is a good time to check if changing the filter quarterly is enough: check the filter on the same day every month to evaluate the dust collection.)
AC Maintenance Tip 2
If you have a heat pump, gently wash away dust and grass clippings from the outdoor condenser unit. The condenser will be used year-round for heat transfer; dirt and debris can slow the transfer time and make the heat pump work harder.
AC Maintenance Tip 3
Check the attic to ensure adequate insulation has been installed; an R-value of 38 is recommended as a thermal and moisture barrier. That requires 12 inches of insulation. Use a ruler or tape measure to confirm adequate insulation coverage.
AC Maintenance Tip 4
Examine windows and doors for visible gaps. Use an incense stick around window and door frames to reveal breezes that move the smoke. If all the gaps were gathered into one opening, how large would that opening be? If someone found a 6” diameter circle opening in the wall, the gap would be repaired immediately. Use weatherstripping and/or caulk to repair the smaller cracks and keep the home warmer.
AC Maintenance Tip 5
Ceiling fans can increase interior comfort year-round at the lowest rotations setting. Without movement, the warm air rises to the ceiling and doesn’t move until acted upon; toes are often cold while the rest of the body is warm. With the fan set on winter mode—clockwise rotation—it will push the warmth near the ceiling down and thoroughly mix the air throughout the home.
AC Maintenance Tip 6
Resist bumping the thermostat when it feels cold. Raising the temperature setting when you feel cold is unnecessary since the thermostat would call for heat within a minute or so of when it feels cold. Bumping the temperature for a few minutes may increase the air temperature, but the walls, flooring, and furnishings will not warm to that setting during the first cycle.
It will take 30 minutes or more for the space and surroundings to warm. A better method is to set the thermostat on an agreed-upon setting and refrain from “bumping,” since this often wastes energy and increases costs.
Doctor Cool is Your AC Maintenance Resource this Winter
When you need quality AC maintenance, come to the name the Texas Gulf Coast trusts, Doctor Cool & Professor Heat. As an award-winning, BBB-accredited AC maintenance and installation contractor serving the League City and surrounding area, we pride ourselves in providing exceptional service to our customers. Call Doctor Cool & Professor Heat today at 281-338-8751 or email Doctor Cool.
