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Improve Comfort, Increase Efficiency & Reduce Your Bills This Winter
That’s right, folks—Autumn is coming to North Carolina! Temperatures are beginning to drop, so it’s time to bundle up, enjoy the scenery and prepare for the winter weather ahead.
While this time of year is a glorious break from the heat of summer, it’s crucial that you ensure all components of your home are equipped to handle the coming winter. Just think, if your heat was to unexpectedly shut off during a family gathering, attitudes will be even more frosty than the weather outdoors! Is that a risk you’re willing to take?
Check out these helpful home improvement & maintenance tips that will ensure the health & efficiency of your home comfort systems while keeping your family comfortable all season long.
#1 – Trim Back Landscaping/Leaves/Branches
While natural foliage and landscaping around your property may be pleasing to the eye, they can cause a lot of trouble for your HVAC system. If trees and shrubs die or become overgrown, branches can easily become lodged in your outdoor unit, which could result in costly repairs. Fallen leaves, pests and other debris can also make their way inside your unit, obstructing airflow and greatly impeding its efficiency. Consequently; your HVAC system will have to work much harder to keep you and your family comfortable. Make sure to trim all bushes back 2 feet from your unit, and periodically check that no plant matter has fallen into your system.
#2 – Change Your Filters
It is important to change your equipment’s air filters regularly to ensure they remain efficient and maintain high-quality indoor air circulation. If you leave the same air filters in for too long, your furnace will experience decreased efficiency and may fail altogether. Additionally, airborne particles such as dust and mold spores could end up circulating in the air you and your family breathe!
#3 – Change Ceiling Fan Rotation
You may be asking yourself, why should I run my ceiling fan when it’s cold outside? Because it can actually help you reduce heating bills! Heat rises, trapping colder air at ground level with you. By switching your fans so that they are rotating clockwise, the warm air on the ceiling will be pushed back down while the cool air on the floor will be pulled up. This allows you to lower the settings on your heating unit because your rooms are warmer from the fan.
#4 – Upgrade to A Smart Thermostat
While living an energy-efficient lifestyle is preferable, sacrificing your comfort during colder temperatures is simply not an option. With a smart thermostat  you won’t have to choose between comfort and affordability! While there’s no point in your system continuing to run while everyone is out of the house and it can be nearly impossible to remember to shut it off every time you’re running out the door. But with a smart thermostat, you can program it once and forget about it; the thermostat will make all future temperature adjustments for you!
Additionally, smart thermostats come with helpful features that remind you:
- How much energy your system is using.
- When it’s time to schedule a maintenance check.
- When you need to replace the air filters.
- That it is in need of repair.
#5 – Consider A Generator
Hurricane season lasts from early June until late November, meaning you still need to be prepared in case another one strikes the east coast. Additionally; high winds and severe winter storms could leave you without power for hours or even days. A Honeywell whole home generator will ensure your lights stay on and keep your HVAC running, even during prolonged outages.
#6 – Schedule Professional Service
In addition to your DIY home maintenance and improvements, Comfort First offers a comprehensive HVAC Maintenance Plan which includes a furnace and heat pump tune-up, cleaning and inspection to ensure you and your family will be staying warm all season!
