As the winter chill and cold slowly creep up upon an unsuspecting East Tennessee, homeowners want to ensure that their HVAC unit runs optimally all winter long. Part of anticipating extreme weather means preparing your HVAC unit for a snow storm. Preparing your HVAC System for a snow storm can help increase your energy efficiency, prevent the need for an emergency HVAC call, and ensure that your family stays comfortable, even during the nastiest weather.

Insulate Pipes

Any exposed pipes in or outside of your home are at risk of bursting during extremely cold weather. Accordingly, protect your pipes by installing tubular foam pipe insulation to all exposed pipes running to your HVAC unit. This will decrease the chances of damage to your pipes that could result in a costly repair.

Keep your HVAC Unit free of Snow and Ice

In preparing your HVAC unit for cold weather in general, adding a cover for outdoor HVAC units keep them safe from rodents and the elements alike. If you failed to add an HVAC unit cover, clear any snow and ice from your HVAC unit as soon as possible. Failing to clear away the snow so can cause restricted air flow, which may cause your heat pump or condensing unit to malfunction.

Get Your Furnace Tuned Up

Because furnaces are mechanical units with moving parts, there is always a chance of failure. Therefore, have regular maintenance conducted on your furnace by an HVAC technician to ensure that it works when you need it to. A certified technician will typically measure gas pressure and check your furnace’s belts, switches, and regulators to guarantee your furnace works properly when needed. Additionally, regular furnace maintenance will extend the equipment’s total lifespan.

Use Caution with Generators

Making sure to avoid using generators indoors (including garages) may seem like common sense, yet from 20015 to 2016, there were 965 deaths due to CO-emitting generators in the US. Thus, read the user’s manual that came with your generator to ensure you follow all the safety guidelines. Additionally, ensure you avoid “back feeding” your portable generator by plugging into an outlet to power other items in your home. This practice is not only dangerous for utility workers working to restore power but is also illegal.

A Little HVAC Prep Goes a Long Way

When extreme winter whether strikes, it’s usually an extremely inconvenient time to repair a part of your HVAC unit. By using insulation, keeping snow and ice of your HVAC unit, and only using generators in their prescribed manner, you’ll help your heating appliances work efficiently throughout winter. Contact City Heating and Air, your East Tennessee HVAC professionals, today to schedule a furnace maintenance appointment or if your heating unit isn’t working properly.