Top 5 Reasons You Need to Call Your St. Louis Heating and Air Expert Before Winter
The weather is getting colder and you’re ready to cozy up with your favorite blanket and relax for the winter. Don’t kick off your shoes just yet, because you need to schedule maintenance for your HVAC system before it gets really frosty.
So, why does it smell when you turn on your heater, and what can you do to make your home warmer this winter? Get all the answers to your burning questions when you check out these tips on HVAC maintenance for winter weather.
1. Talk to Your St. Louis Heating and Air Technician About Protecting Your AC
As the weather turns colder, you tend to forget about your lonely air conditioning unit outside. When you have HVAC repair, make sure you talk to your technician about the right cover for your AC condenser unit.
Ask about how to turn off the power supply to your unit for the winter, and take time to pick out sticks, grass, leaves, and other debris from your condenser unit before you cover it. By taking care of cooling maintenance during fall and winter, you can make sure your AC lasts as long as possible.
2. Change Your Filter and Mark the Date
Changing your air filter is an easy and fast way to prevent a lot of heating and cooling problems. You should aim to change your filter at least every one to three months, because dirty filters cause your HVAC system to work much harder than it needs to. This can result in your heating system running at low-efficiency and run your heating bill unnecessarily high.
If you have a home with four-legged family members, you should change your air filter more often, especially if people in your household have allergies.
It’s very helpful to mark the date you switch out air filters on the actual filter, so you can always be on top of heating and cooling maintenance. Not sure what kind of filter you need or don’t even know where to start? Schedule heating maintenance with a professional to insure your family stays warm this winter.
3. Ask Your St. Louis Heating and Air Expert About Tune-Ups and Upgrades
The prices of electricity and natural gas just keep rising, and there’s nothing that will run your bills up faster than an old or malfunctioning HVAC system. Air conditioning units usually start to lose efficiency around the 10-year mark, and heating systems should be replaced every 15 years.
Getting HVAC maintenance and tune-ups are essential to keeping your home winter worthy. Make sure to schedule maintenance if you experience any of the following:
- More dust accumulating in your home than normal
- Hearing strange noises from your HVAC system
- Smell strange odors for more than two hours
- Have higher-than-usual gas or electric bills
- Your thermostat doesn’t match the temperature in your home
4. Turn on the Heat at Least Three Times Before You Really Need It
What’s that burning smell? It’s most likely just dust and other debris that have settled onto your burners, heat exchangers, and other components in your heating system. This smell is completely normal, and usually quickly disappears without needing heating maintenance. Some HVAC technicians have been known to call this smell, “dirty socks syndrome.”
However, a burning smell that doesn’t go away can indicate a bigger problem in your heating system. It could be a sign of electrical damage or an object lodged in your air duct.
Call your St. Louis heating and air technician ASAP if a burning smell from your HVAC doesn’t disappear within two hours.
5. Save Your HVAC System Some Work by Insulating Your Windows
It’s not a secret that you lose a lot of heating and cooling through cracks and leaks in your windows. You can lower your heating bill and help out your HVAC by insulating your windows or by replacing outdated ones.
Look for winter weather insulation kits at your local hardware store. These often contain everything you need to seal any gaps in your windows like heavy plastic that you can see through, and paint-safe double-sided tape. Also try thermal insulated curtains to block out cold drafts in the winter and the hot sun in the summer.
Talk to the Best St. Louis Heating and Air Experts for HVAC Maintenance
If you’ve been tapping the search bar for “heating and air near me,” then get in touch with the professionals at Meyer Heating & Air. We have more than 30 years of combined experience, and offer affordable products and services, so you’re never left out in the cold.
Are you ready to experience the Meyer Difference? Contact us today online or by calling (314) 845-1929 to ask us a question or set up an appointment for installation or HVAC repair. We can’t wait to hear from you!
