The summer break is an opportunity to relax and break away from the daily grind. Ensure your home and HVAC system are prepared for your absence. A little preparation goes a long way toward preventing costly damage and keeping your home safe until you're back home. Try these eight useful tips to prepare your HVAC system for vacation so your is seamless and trouble-free.
1.聽Schedule an HVAC Tune-Up
A great way聽to聽ensure your HVAC runs efficiently聽is to聽set up聽a聽maintenance visit聽leading up to your trip. A聽certified professional聽inspect your system,聽service key components, and聽fix any problems they find. This聽preventive measure聽lowers the likelihood聽of聽unexpected problems聽and聽ensures best performance.
2.聽Tidy Up Around聽the Outdoor Unit
Alongside聽a聽professional tune-up, you can聽also help protect system performance聽by聽clearing out leaves,聽rocks聽or聽grass clippings聽near聽the outdoor聽cabinet near the house.聽Before heading to the airport,聽take a few minutes聽to聽spray it with the hose聽and聽sweep debris about 3 feet away. This聽basic task聽can help protect operational efficiency聽and聽avoid any problems聽while聽you're away.
3.聽Make Sure Your Vents are Open and Unblocked
Closed聽vents聽lead to uneven temperatures聽and聽extra stress聽on your HVAC system. Make sure聽that all聽vents聽are聽fully opened聽and not blocked by聽furniture. This聽ensures steady airflow聽and聽stops聽any聽specific room聽of your home from聽feeling聽too warm or cold.
4.聽Set Your Thermostat Wisely
Changing your thermostat聽is聽an effective option聽to聽save energy聽and聽lower those energy costs聽while聽you're out of town.聽Keep聽your thermostat around聽85°F聽when聽traveling in the summer聽to聽save on cooling costs聽without聽allowing the interior to overheat.
If you want an easier time setting these schedules up,聽look into adding聽a聽smart thermostat聽before your vacation.聽The programming in these newer thermostats聽allows you to adjust聽your home's temperature聽while you're gone聽via聽a smartphone app. You can聽modify any schedules聽based on聽weather forecasts聽and聽get automatic notifications聽if any聽problems happen.
To聽make sure you come back to total comfort,聽direct聽your smart thermostat to聽start cooling your home聽for at least a few hours聽before聽you get home. If you聽haven't installed a smart thermostat yet,聽to聽set the temperatures while you're gone.聽With their help, you can聽return to a cozy house,聽while still聽minimizing energy waste聽for聽the duration of your trip.
5.聽Don't Forget About Pets and Houseplants
If you have聽a dog聽or聽even just one or two houseplants聽that聽will be left at home聽while聽you're on vacation,聽when聽setting the thermostat聽during your absence. The聽recommended聽85 degrees Fahrenheit聽may聽be聽excessive聽for them.聽Arrange boarding for pets if possible, or聽get a friend or neighbor聽to聽pet sit聽or聽water your plants.聽Offer some directions on paper聽for聽adjusting the thermostat聽if聽needed.
6.聽Keep the Curtains Closed to Keep Heat Out
Direct sunlight hitting any聽open聽windows聽increases the indoor temperature,聽causing聽your聽HVAC system聽to聽work much longer and harder聽in the summer.聽Pull down聽the blinds,聽any curtains聽or even聽sunshades聽to聽avoid extra heat in your home聽during the聽hottest parts of the day,聽keeping your home cooler聽and聽easing the burden聽on your聽cooling.
7.聽Fix Air Leaks and Drafts
Examine the聽windows and doors for聽cracks or gaps聽before聽heading out.聽Closing up these leaks聽enhances air tightness聽and聽lowers some of the strain聽on聽the HVAC.聽Simple fixes聽include聽applying caulk to the聽joints and聽installing聽weatherstripping聽seal windows and doors better.聽make a big difference聽in聽maintaining stable indoor temperatures.
8.聽Power Down Electronics and Turn Off the Water Supply
To聽conserve additional energy聽and聽minimize the risk of electrical issues,聽disconnect all unnecessary utilities, appliances and electronics聽before聽you聽leave. This聽includes聽things like聽TVs,聽computers,聽gaming devices聽and聽most small household appliances.聽Keeping these devices plugged into surge protectors聽makes it聽a breeze聽to聽switch off the power聽to聽.
It's also smart聽to聽turn the main water shut-off valve聽or聽cut off聽the聽water supply聽to specific聽parts of the plumbing聽by turning聽the valve on the wall聽closest to them. This聽preventive measure聽helps聽protect your home聽from聽potential leaks and major water damage聽if you’re聽unable聽to聽get to them in time.
Allow Us to Help with Vacation Prep
Regardless of if聽you’re聽eagerly awaiting聽your dream vacation or just聽came back to discover聽your HVAC system not聽working, 黑料社区聽can聽offer solutions. We聽pride ourselves on delivering聽speedy, safe solutions聽to聽all聽your comfort problems.
Nothing聽to our than your聽complete聽satisfaction. If you聽need聽an聽HVAC tune-up聽before you leave town,聽please聽contact us聽to聽schedule an appointment.聽We're here聽to聽have a positive impact聽in your聽home comfort and day to day.
