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Prepping For Winter
Did you notice the ground this morning? In many places around Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire there was a layer of frost, and even a thin coating of snow covering the grass we just spent the summer lounging in. And, while both of these elements will likely be gone by lunchtime, it’s still a reminder that Mother Nature rests for no one. Winter is coming. And with it, seasonal distresses like coughs, colds, and sniffles.
While we’re on the subject, have you thought about the health of your heating and cooling environment? It’s important. Its health is a direct link to you and your family’s health. So, that said, here are a few important things to take action on before the sky opens and the snow really starts to accumulate:
- Clean the vents and tidy up around any outdoor piece of your unit. Debris – like leaves, grass clippings, twigs, etc. – can really build up in your HVAC unit during the dusty summer months. While you’re at it, take a quick look at the vents for any dirty buildup and vacuum them out to ensure proper airflow to prevent the circulation of dust and other airborne toxins in your home.
- Change the air filter. Seriously. You change the one in your car (at least we hope you do), so why not change the one that is servicing your home? It’s easy and your HVAC unit running at an optimal level. Like the function of any filter, when it’s clogged it’s clogged. And when clogs happen, the entire system gets bogged down causing harder, unnecessary strain on your investment. This quick fix is also an element of your maintenance service contract if you’d prefer a professional to handle the matter…
- Check and set your thermostat accordingly. If your thermostat is programmable, make sure you adjust it for the cooler months. If your thermostat isn’t programmable, keep in mind that it’s 2017 and such technology is extremely affordable, easily installed, and instantly saves you money and unnecessary energy usage. Program it by hours of the day, days of the week, times of the year… There are so many variables you can adjust for. In doing this, you’re proactively making sure your furnace isn’t working unnecessarily hard when it doesn’t have to. Not only does this extend the life of your system, it will save you serious coin on energy bills as well.
And while some of the things we just mentioned are things you can conceivably do yourself, there is also maintenance you’re better off leaving to the professionals like us at Suburban Companies. Having your friendly, experienced neighborhood HVAC professional from Suburban come out to your home to perform maintenance once or twice a year, will have much benefit to you and your system as the years stack up. Having maintenance done at the beginning of each season is key to ensuring that your system will run safely and smoothly all year long. And if that isn’t enough of a reason, having proper maintenance done will also save you money on your energy bills and extend the life of your HVAC unit.
A few of the key tasks we do when we perform seasonal HVAC maintenance include:
- Detecting and fixing minor problems. Because minor problems can lead to major deficiencies and require expensive repairs.
- Inspect your HVAC system for performance and safety. Because, like any inspection, safety is the priority. You want your system to work, and provide peace-of-mind. We’ll look to make sure things are running optimally and no leaks or potentially hazardous systematic discharge is occurring.
- Clean and lubricate the system thoroughly. Because, as mentioned, a good cleaning goes a long way. Like any other aspect of life.
- Test and calibrate the thermostat. Because, let’s face it, sometimes things happen and we want to ensure proper function and efficiency so you can take complete comfort.
HVAC maintenance takes a lot of work and is not something “anyone” can do. It is, however, something we do here at Suburban Companies. We take great pride in servicing our customers and have since our inception in 1965. Our awards are a testament to this. We provide exemplary service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Winter’s coming. Are you ready? If not, take comfort, we’ll be right over. Give us a call today, or, better yet, lock in to one of our maintenance plans and achieve the peace of mind in knowing the heating and cooling environment in your home or business is taken care of – bringing you and your HVAC system good operative health and complete environmental comfort.