Stay Warm and Save Money with These Simple HVAC Maintenance Solutions
St. Louis may not be Buffalo, but we still get our fair share of winter weather.
With more than 30 years of experience in the HVAC industry, Meyer Heating and Air knows a thing or two about winterizing your home to keep it warm through the coldest of conditions.
With these simple tips, you can keep the cold outside and the warm inside to improve your home’s efficiency and do your furnace a favor through the winter months here in O’Fallon, Arnold, Chesterfield, and surrounding areas.
Doing so can help prevent emergency HVAC services that require you to call Meyer Heating and Air at all hours of the day. (Although we’re more than happy to help you, 24/7!)
Clean your gutters
As St. Louisans, we’re all familiar with winter ice, but not everyone knows how to prepare for it. Fortunately, it’s easy.
At the end of the fall season, clean your gutters of leaves and any other debris, and make sure water can flow freely through them.
Keeping your gutters clean will prevent icicles and ice dams from forming later, both of which can damage your roof and cause other major issues. And if it causes leakage from serious damage, then you’ll be cranking your HVAC to stay warm.
Seal outside cracks and gaps to stop drafts
Check the outside of your home, particularly around the windows and doors, for any cracks or gaps. If you see any, fill them with a weather-proof caulk, expanding foam, or draft-blocking strips.
Another good place to check is around any outdoor faucets, or pipes leading into your home. Be sure they’re covered and warm to prevent freezing. You also should consider going to your favorite hardware store to buy insulated faucet covers to put over your outdoor faucets.
Check for drafts around windows and doors inside of your home, and apply self-stick foam weather stripping anywhere you feel cold air coming in. If you don’t mind the look, you can consider placing plastic insulation film over your windows. It may not be the most fashionable, but it can keep up to 70 percent of heat from leaking out.
Also check for drafts under exterior doors and add a door sweep, or draft guard to keep the cold air out.
Any time cold air is entering your home, your heater needs to work harder to keep your home warm.
Install storm windows
Some homes in the St. Louis area still have older, single-pane windows. If your home doesn’t have newer insulated glass windows, consider installing storm windows.
Single-pane glass can be cold and drafty. With the added layer of protection provided by storm windows, you can cut down on the draft and cold.
Like weather stripping, better quality windows can save you money on your HVAC bills during the winter.
Insulate your attic to cut out drafts
Most homes either have no insulation, or not enough insulation in the attic. The EPA recommends a minimum of R-38 insulation, which is usually between 10 and 14 inches deep.
A well-insulated attic will keep the warm air in the heated rooms where you want it, rather than letting it escape up through the ceiling into the attic, which again, means your furnace doesn’t have to work as hard.
Have your chimney inspected
Chimneys can be a huge source of heat loss in the wintertime. If you use your chimney, have it cleaned and make sure it is safe for use.
Also make sure the damper closes tightly over the flue to help prevent unnecessary heat loss and keep drafts out.
Have your furnace serviced and install a new air filter
Much like your car, your furnace needs regular maintenance to keep it running smoothly and efficiently.
When you make an appointment with Meyer Heating and Air for heating maintenance, we’ll come to clean your furnace and give it a tune up so it’s running at peak efficiency.
You also should install a new air filter, or have us install one for you. Air filters should be replaced every two to three months throughout the winter season, or more frequently if you live with pets. A dirty air filter reduces the air flow, which makes your HVAC system work harder.
Better yet, you can choose to get our service agreement, which includes two HVAC maintenance visits per year for your heating and cooling systems. Not only is it cheaper than the visits purchased separately, but if you do happen to need HVAC emergency services, you will receive priority when it comes to scheduling an appointment.
Install electrical outlet gaskets
Believe it or not, a lot of cold air enters homes around electrical outlets. And when you take into account the number of electrical outlets along the exterior walls of a home, that’s a lot of cold air!
A simple solution to this is the installation of foam-rubber electrical outlet gaskets. Simply remove the outlet cover plate, press the gasket over the outlet, then replace the cover. Draft deleted!
Call us for St. Louis heating and air service
Whether you just need your furnace cleaned and tuned up, or you need some HVAC repair, Meyer Heating and Air is the company to call in St. Louis for heating and air services.
Meyer Heating and Air is a local, family-owned business dedicated to servicing the needs of the people of O’Fallon, Sappington, Arnold, and more. We offer 24/7 emergency service, and will send out a technician as soon as possible to get you up and running – and warm – again. Request service online, or call us 314-845-1929.
