Fall HVAC Maintenance: Get Your Home Ready for Cooler Weather
Fall in North Carolina can be unpredictable. One afternoon your AC is still running, and a few days later you’re waking up to a chilly house and reaching for the thermostat.
That makes October a good time to give your HVAC system some attention.
After working through another hot North Carolina summer, your system is making the shift from cooling your home to keeping it warm. A few simple homeowner maintenance tasks, along with a professional fall tune-up, can help keep everything operating reliably and efficiently throughout the season.
Why Fall HVAC Maintenance Matters
Your heating and cooling system accounts for a significant portion of the energy used in your home. Keeping it properly maintained can help maximize energy efficiency, reduce costly preventable breakdowns, and extend the life of your system.
More importantly, fall maintenance gives you an opportunity to identify potential problems before your heating system is working every day.
No one wants to discover their heating system has a problem on the first truly cold morning of the year.
Start With a Few Simple Checks at Home
There are a few things homeowners can do themselves as the seasons change!
Check Your Air Filter
Take a look at your HVAC filter and replace it if it’s dirty. A dirty filter can restrict airflow and make it more difficult for your system to operate properly.
It’s also worth keeping extra filters on hand so replacing them becomes part of your regular home maintenance routine.
Check Your Thermostat
As you begin switching your thermostat from cooling to heating, make sure your system responds appropriately.
If your HVAC fan seems to run continuously, check the fan setting as well. In most cases, it should be set to “Auto” rather than “On.”
If the thermostat display is blank, check the batteries if your model uses them. If the thermostat is wired directly into your HVAC system and isn’t receiving power, it may be time to call a technician.
Pay Attention When Your Heat Turns On
You know the normal sounds of your home better than anyone.
As your heating system starts running more often this fall, pay attention to anything that seems different. Strange noises, unusual smells, uneven temperatures, a system that runs constantly, or a home that isn’t reaching the temperature set on the thermostat can all be reasons to have your HVAC system checked.
If you have a furnace that clicks when it starts, a click or two may simply be part of the ignition process. Repeated clicking, however, can indicate a problem that should be evaluated by a professional.
What Happens During Professional Fall HVAC Maintenance?
There are important parts of HVAC maintenance that go beyond what homeowners should tackle themselves.
During a heating tune-up, Peak City Heating & Air checks components throughout the system to make sure everything is operating properly.
Depending on your system, this includes checking motor amp draw, capacitors, drain operation, refrigerant levels, heating temperature, thermostat operation, safety controls, and electrical connections.
For furnace systems, maintenance also includes cleaning the flame sensor and checking the burners, flame, and heat exchanger.
It’s a much more thorough look at the system than simply turning on the thermostat and confirming that warm air comes out.
Preventative Maintenance Can Help You Catch Problems Earlier
An HVAC system can still heat your home while showing early signs that something isn’t working as it should.
That’s one of the reasons preventative maintenance is valuable.
Finding an issue during a scheduled tune-up gives you an opportunity to address it before it potentially becomes a larger repair or leaves you without heat when temperatures drop.
It can also help keep your system operating as efficiently as possible instead of making it work harder than necessary throughout heating season.
October Is a Great Time to Schedule Your Heating Tune-Up
If you’ve already turned your heat on a few times this fall, you haven’t missed your opportunity to schedule preventative maintenance.
October is a great time to make sure your HVAC system is ready before colder temperatures settle in and your heat is running more consistently.
Peak City Heating & Air provides preventative HVAC maintenance for homeowners throughout Apex, Cary, and Holly Springs. Our local, family-operated team will inspect your system, explain what we find, and help you understand what your home needs.
Ready to get your HVAC system ready for the season ahead?
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