Throughout the Delaware Valley signs of autumn yielding to winter are unmistakable. Leaves turn color and fall, and then cold mornings call for heat from your home’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Have your HVAC system ready and winter’s worst weather will never take away from your cozy home comfort. You and your heating and air conditioning company make a great team!
Parts of a Whole
The elements of your HVAC system—furnace and central air conditioner, a boiler and mini-split AC, or some other combination—still do three things:
- Heat
- Ventilate
- Air Conditioning
With summer behind us, your air conditioning system must be bundled up for hibernation. Your ventilation system must be cleaned, and your heating system (wood stove, boiler, heat pump, or furnace) needs preparation. Think of the whole process as three distinct jobs.
Away with the AC
Window units should be brushed off and removed from windows. You lose energy efficiency when your window units remain and heated air escapes. Mini-split units need the outside unit cleaned off, the top protected with a small cover to prevent snow and ice damage. Do not close off the bottom or most of the sides—air circulation prevents corrosion and moisture build-up. Sweep debris away from the unit, and consider wrapping the exposed pipes or hoses in foam insulation. A large central air conditioning unit needs similar, though more extensive, treatment to prepare it for winter.
Ventilation
Your home’s air handler helps draw fresh air in and push stale air out. Keeping it clean and dust-free improves indoor air quality in winter. Talk to your reliable HVAC heating and air conditioning company to make certain you know which parts of your HVAC system are where—some homes, such as those with boilers and hydronic heating, may not have any air handling equipment.
Heater
Getting your heating system ready for winter means a service call from the trusted professionals at H&H Heating & Air Conditioning. Our trained technicians will inspect, service and repair your heating system so that is operating efficiently at the first call for heat.
Whether boiler, furnace or heat pump, a trained technician will approach four general areas:
- Heating element—The heart of your heater, whatever is used to heat water or air requires careful cleaning and adjustment. A complete inspection for signs of corrosion is vital.
- Air handling or water handling—Furnaces and heat pumps, heated air moves through ducts; the service technician will check for proper air flow and balance. In boilers and hydronic systems, heated water moves through pipes and the technician will verify proper flow and possibly bleed air from the lines
- Safety equipment—The technician will deliberately trip safety features, such as cut-off switches, breakers and gas valves to make certain you are safe from gas leaks, oil fires or electrical fires.
- Sensors—A programmable thermostat only saves you fuel costs and lowers your energy bills if it set correctly; the technician can inspect and reprogram the unit if needed.
Contact H&H Heating & Air Conditioning today to schedule a service call to help you close up the air conditioning, clean out the ventilation, and tune up the heating system in your Delaware Valley home.
H & H Heating And Air Conditioning Inc. 