As winter nears, it’s an excellent time to prepare your heating system for the upcoming harsh weather. Taking the right steps can make a big difference in how cozy and consistently comfortable you are. It can improve energy efficiency, thereby reducing your carbon footprint and lowering your heating costs. Proper maintenance can also help ensure you don’t have to deal with a system failure in the middle of winter.
Seasonal Tune-Up
Scheduling a professional tune-up before you need heating is the most important step in preparing your system for winter. In the sections ahead, we’ll explore some of the important maintenance your system needs. Most of it requires a skilled technician to perform that work safely and precisely.
No matter your specific configuration, our technician will perform a multipoint inspection. We’ll clean all of the relevant HVAC equipment. Our technician will correct minor wear and tear, including lubricating moving parts and tightening electrical connections. In some cases, advanced maintenance may be necessary, such as rebuilding a motor or pump. Depending on the condition of your system, we may recommend preventative repairs. You never have to perform preventative repairs, but they can save you hassles and money.
Once we’ve completed the maintenance, we’ll inspect, clean, and calibrate the thermostat. We’ll then run the system and ensure it’s operating within optimal parameters for that model. All our work adheres to the manufacturer’s warranty requirements.
Electrical Systems
It’s necessary to service a heating system’s electrical system beyond tightening. We need to test control boards and replace old capacitors and wires. Our technician must also test the circuit breaker and the outside HVAC disconnect switch. Note that this isn’t just a requirement for electric and hybrid heating systems. Most modern gas and oil systems use electricity too. They use it for lights, digital panels, and, sometimes, the ignition.
Boilers
Many homes in our service area use hydronic heating systems. Hot water boilers are most common, but steam boilers are not uncommon. These systems use water or steam to heat a home via radiators, and that approach necessitates some special maintenance. Rust and other corrosion are notable concerns with boilers. We must flush the tank to remove limescale and sediment, and our technician may need to bleed the radiators. We’ll test the thermostat and calibrate it as needed. It’s also necessary to check all the valves and replace worn components.
Electric
Electric boilers use an electric heating element to heat the water either near boiling or to steam. Our technician needs to clean that part and test its performance.
Gas and Oil
Gas and oil boilers create heat by combusting fuel. It’s important to clean this equipment not only for energy efficiency but also safety reasons. Our technician will check the thermocouple and heat exchanger. Defects can lead to dangerous gases mixing with your air supply. We’ll rule out any backdraft situations. Our technician will also test your carbon monoxide (CO) alarms and advise battery and unit replacement as necessary.
Central Systems: Air Filtration
All central systems, such as ducted heat pumps and forced-air furnaces, have one or more supply vents and multiple return vents. Dust all the supply and return vents inside and out. The supply vents require a filter. We recommend a high-quality pleated filter with the highest minimum efficiency reporting value (MERV) rating your system allows. The higher the rating, the better the filter effectiveness. Replace the filter before winter. As winter unfolds, check it at least once a month, and replace it as needed.
Furnaces
Furnaces remain the most common way to heat homes throughout the U.S. A core component that requires maintenance is the blower. This is the part responsible for moving air through the system, and it experiences a lot of wear and tear. In addition to relubricating, we need to replace worn bearings. Our technician will also dial in the fan speed and balance it.
Electric
Like an electric boiler, an electric furnace has an electric heating element. Our technician needs to clean that element and test its performance.
Gas and Oil
Fuel-burning furnaces are very similar to fuel-burning boilers when it comes to the combustion system. We’ll inspect and clean the thermocouple and heat exchanger. Our technician will ensure no dangerous gases are mixing with your air supply. We’ll also test your CO alarms.
Heat Pumps
Heat pumps are very different than the equipment described above. They don’t generate heat but rather transfer it from one medium to another. The most common type of heat pump transfers it from the ambient air to inside the home. It has a blower like a furnace does. It also has an evaporator coil. This transfers the heat from the refrigerant to the home’s air. We must clean evaporator coils annually both for efficiency and sanitization. It’s also necessary to clean and test the condensate drainage system.
Ductless Mini-Splits
Ductless mini-splits that provide heat are heat pumps, but there are differences. Rather than ducts, ductless mini-splits use a dedicated indoor unit for each zone. Our technician has to clean the evaporator coil and condensate drainage system in every indoor unit. In addition, every indoor unit has its filters that we must check and either clean or replace.
Systems With Outdoor Condenser Units
Heat pumps and ductless mini-splits have an outdoor condenser unit. This is necessary for the transfer of heat energy between the refrigerant and ambient air. Our technicians will inspect, clean, and service the condenser fan, condenser pump, and condenser coil. Cleaning the condenser coil is a particularly important step in ensuring maximum energy efficiency.
Homeowners should keep the condenser cage free of debris. If you notice leaves, branches, and other matter building up in there, clear it out. You should also maintain a clutter-free perimeter around the unit of 1 to 3 feet. That includes overhanging branches.
Other HVAC Components
Fall is an excellent time to schedule maintenance for your ancillary HVAC equipment as well. That includes whole-home humidifiers. Our technician will inspect your humidifier and related plumbing. We’ll also clean the equipment and replace filters. If you have indoor air quality equipment, they require inspection, cleaning, and media replacement annually. Fall is an excellent time for that as well. Our technician can replace your UV lamp. We can also replace air purifier media, such as the prefilter, activated carbon, and primary mechanical filter.
Schedule a Fall HVAC Tune-Up in Richmond
Davis & Green has provided seasonal HVAC tune-ups throughout Richmond and the surrounding areas since 1984. We offer a maintenance plan that can save you money while keeping your equipment serviced on schedule. Our NATE-certified technicians install and service furnaces, boilers, heat pumps, air conditioners, and ductless mini-splits. We install and service air purifiers, germicidal lights, dehumidifiers, and humidifiers. Our plumbers clean drains and repair pipes and sewers. We hook up appliances and install and repair kitchen and bathroom fixtures, tank and tankless water heaters, and sump pumps. Our electricians perform inspections and whole-home rewiring. We install and repair electrical panels, outlets, switches, ceiling fans, smoke and CO detectors, lighting, and EV chargers. Our company also offers a full range of handyman services. Contact us today to schedule a heating appointment.
