5 HVAC Tips to Keep Your Holiday Guests Comfortable
The holidays are here, and that means soon you will be welcoming guests into your home for family meals, football games and overnight stays. Before they arrive, make sure they will be comfortable while visiting your home. These five tips have you and your HVAC system covered.
- Check (and replace) the air filter.
Improve the quality of your indoor air for your guests, especially those who suffer from allergies or asthma. A dirty air filter has a harder time removing pollutants from your home’s indoor air (contaminants like dust mites, mold, pet dander, dead skin, allergens, viruses and more). It also restricts airflow and causes your entire HVAC system to work harder, not as efficiently as possible. Depending on the type of air filter you use and how much your system runs, it is best to clean or replace it every 30-90 days.
- Clean your home.
This one seems obvious, but cleaning your home isn’t just about your home appearing tidy to guests. It is also about improving the quality of your indoor air for your guests. We bring allergens into our homes in all kinds of ways – on the bottoms of our shoes, on our clothes, on our pets’ hair, on our children and on our outerwear, just to name a few. Remove allergens as much as possible by dusting, vacuuming, mopping and washing laundry. And it is best for your home’s indoor air quality to use natural or fragrance-free cleaning products.
- Turn down your thermostat.
With your home full of guests and the oven cooking delicious food for all, your home will definitely heat up. Anticipate this ahead of time and turn the thermostat down a few degrees to make it more comfortable inside for your guests. If you have a programmable thermostat, you can schedule this temperature adjustment. And for those guests who may get cold with the temperature turned down, have warm blankets ready.
- Fix air leaks.
Check each window and door of your home for drafts. Caulking and weatherstripping are simple, effective DIY solutions for sealing those off, which not only helps your HVAC system function better, but it lowers your energy bill as well. Find more tips for sealing air leaks here.
- Schedule an HVAC maintenance appointment.
You certainly don’t want to have a problem with your HVAC system when you have guests visiting for the holidays! Even if everything is working well, this kind of preventive maintenance is important for the life of your HVAC system, addressing any issues before they turn into expensive repairs or replacements.
We recommend having your HVAC system checked by a professional twice a year (in the spring before using the air conditioner for the first time and in the fall before using the furnace for the first time). During a maintenance appointment, our NATE-certified technicians ensure your HVAC system is running smoothly (NATE stands for North American Technician Excellence, the leading program for certification of technicians in the HVAC industry). The technician will:
- Inspect the unit and its wiring;
- Clean and lubricate all unit components as needed;
- Check the fuel line and fuel levels;
- Test the pilot light and calibrate pressure in the fuel line;
- Clean all portions of the fuel line and pilot light mechanism;
- Calibrate the unit, so that it provides reliable, efficient service; and
- Identify any potential mechanical issues or repair needs.
Stiles Heating, Cooling, & Plumbing wants to give you peace of mind before your guests arrive this holiday season. Ensure they are comfortable during their visit by ensuring your HVAC system is good to go. Contact us today for more tips or to schedule an HVAC maintenance appointment.
