It’s that time of year again. When the soaring summer heat begins to dwindle and the evening fires begin to sizzle. While summer is in full swing, autumn is well on its way to Chicago. With back-to-school hustle and bustle and the Bears finally starting the 2020 season late, we would hate for you to miss out on other fall routines because COVID-19 threw the entire year off-kilter. So, without further ado, join us in today’s post as we remind you of your fall HVAC maintenance checklist.
1. Deep Clean Your Home
If you did a thorough deep spring clean while quarantined this spring, you may not have to go overboard this fall, but if you and your family have spent more time at home, chances are dust, dirt, and allergens have accumulated at a much quicker rate than normal. These pesky air pollutants can easily find their way into your air system and circulate into the air you breathe. Combat these asthma and allergy triggers by conducting an autumnal deep clean.
2. Adjust Your Thermostat
As the nights begin to get cooler, it may be a good time to revisit your thermostat settings and opt to use open windows if you can to help reduce your HVAC energy bill. This is also a good chance to check for drafts or air leaks in your home that will make your furnace work harder than it needs to.
3. Clean Your HVAC Systems
If your AC unit is located outside, just do a quick brush to get fallen leaves and other debris off of the unit to allow it to run uninhibited. Check on your furnace and remove any dust that has collected this summer, especially away from the pilot light. While you’re at it, you can clean vents and ducts too (don’t forget fan blades).
4. Check Your Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Perform a self-test to ensure your CO alarms are working properly. This is especially important before you run the heater for the first time in the year — and that time is coming quickly! While you’re at it, may as well check your fire alarms as well.
5. Change Your Air Filters
In fact, to keep our HVAC system running optimally, we recommend doing this every eight weeks (two months) or monthly if you share a home with furry pets. Changing your filters regularly will help prolong the life of your HVAC systems and help promote cleaner air in your home.
6. Schedule Your Maintenance Checkup
The best way to ensure everything is running properly is to schedule a maintenance checkup with your local recommended HVAC technician at G & R Heating and Air. We can complete an inspection and make any repairs to minor concerns before they become big problems that’ll leave you shivering this winter.
To ensure you are ready for our frigid Chicago winter, give us a call to schedule your fall HVAC services and enjoy the warmth while you’re staying in.
