Temperatures are already chilly in Indianapolis, and we can only expect the weather to get colder and showier as the weeks pass. Outside your home, you’ve probably already made everything shipshape in preparation for the winter storms by cleaning up debris, trimming back limbs and protecting the outdoor compressor from ice and snow getting inside.
But what about inside your home? Have you had your HVAC system checked out so its ready to perform at its peak?
Here are some winter HVAC concerns that homeowners frequently have to deal with:
Inefficient Heat Pumps
Heat pumps have been improved so newer models are available that work fairly well in winter, but if you don’t have one of these, you may have some issues keeping warm whenever the temperature falls below freezing. When that happens, you don’t want your electric heat pump struggling to keep the house warm, nor do you want it defaulting to auxiliary heating from electric-powered heat strips — which are far too expensive to operate in our climate. It’s best to turn to a gas- or oil-powered central heating system when temperatures plummet.
Broken parts on heat pumps may also cause them to perform poorly, as might frozen coils or fan, due to failure of the heat pump’s defrost feature during winter storms.
Cold Spots in Your Home
The reasons why your heating system is heating inconsistently can by many, including these:
- blocked register
- blocked, damaged or badly designed ductwork
- dirty air filter
- heating system wrongly sized for the home
Addressing these problems will likely fix the cold spots. You might also look into zoned heating, which involves installing a separate thermostat in different zones throughout the home.
Leaking Carbon Monoxide
Your gas-powered furnace produces carbon monoxide during the combustion process, and could possibly leak CO from backdrafting or a cracked heat exchanger. Be sure you have functioning CO monitors installed, and that you have your furnace checked out every year.
For more on common winter HVAC concerns and scheduling annual heating system service, contact Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing, serving Indianapolis for more than 40 years.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
