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HVAC Preparation Tips For The Holiday Season

October 27, 2023

Are you hosting guests in Rockville, MD, this holiday season? There are many ways to entertain your visitors and get them into the holiday spirit. You can take your guests snow tubing or visit Winter City Lights for the most unforgettable Christmas lights display. These fun-filled activities will be an instant holiday hit. However, it is important to ensure you and your guests have a warm and comfortable home during the festivities. Scheduling heating maintenance in Rockville, MD and surrounding areas can ensure your home is cozy all season long.

At Glenmont Heating & Air Conditioning, we can make sure your HVAC unit is ready to handle a crowd with our expert heating maintenance services. In this article, we discuss heating maintenance and ways homeowners can prepare their heating unit for the holiday season.

What Is HVAC Preparation?

Holidays spent at home are an enjoyable part of the winter season for many Rockville residents. Unfortunately, heating systems do not operate on a holiday schedule and can break down at any moment. It is important to properly prepare your home and heating unit for upcoming festivities to avoid discomfort and schedule interruptions.

HVAC preparation entails getting your heating system in optimal condition to avoid breakdowns and repairs during the winter, especially in the holiday season. The best way to properly prepare your system is by scheduling professional heating maintenance with experts like Glenmont. Among other benefits, heating maintenance in Rockville, MD will prevent emergency breakdowns and improve your system’s performance.

How To Prepare Your HVAC For The Holiday Season

While scheduling professional heating maintenance in Rockville, MD is the best and easiest way to avoid unwanted breakdowns and repairs, homeowners can perform other preventative tasks to prepare for the holidays. Below are four ways to prepare your home and heating system for the holiday season in Rockville, MD and surrounding areas:

  • Replace Air Filters
  • Clean Vent Covers
  • Adjust Thermostat
  • Schedule HVAC Maintenance

Replace Air Filters

Air filters work hard to trap and prevent pollen, dust, mildew, mold, and other allergens from mixing in with the air we breathe. Over time, filters will collect various pollutants and need to be changed or cleaned to continue filtering the air. If your heating system is operating with dirty air filters, it will decrease your indoor air quality in Rockville, MD. This can pose health threats to residents and guests in the home, such as causing common cold symptoms. Additionally, a dirty air filter can increase the workload for your heating system and raise energy bills.

If the filters go uncleaned for long, your system could suffer a breakdown in the middle of winter. We recommend changing air filters every 90 days and before a large gathering in the holiday season. If you are unsure of how to select the right type of air filter for your home, call our experts at Glenmont! We can guide you through selecting and installing a quality air filter, as well as perform various other indoor air quality services in Rockville, MD.

Clean Vent Covers

When cleaning your home before guests arrive, don’t forget about your vent covers! Dust can collect on the registers and grilles of your vents and harm the aesthetics and air quality of your home. We recommend cleaning vent covers regularly for various reasons, including to enhance HVAC efficiency and prevent breakdowns. If air vents are covered or obstructed by dust, it can cause your heating system to work harder and use more energy this winter. This can result in high energy bills, a heating breakdown in Rockville, MD, and costly repairs.

Consider following these steps to thoroughly and safely clean dirty vent covers:

  • Turn off your system to avoid dirt and dust being circulated into your home.
  • Lay an old cloth below ceiling vents and wear eye protection glasses.
  • Unscrew the main vent covers and the small ones with a screwdriver.
  • Soak the vents in hot, soapy water for about half an hour.
  • Then, use a sponge or microfiber cloth to get rid of stubborn dirt.
  • If there’s still mold, mix a diluted bleach solution, following the instructions on the bleach bottle. The solution will disinfect the vents.
  • Thoroughly rinse once done.
  • Let the covers completely dry before screwing them back in place.

Cleaning your vent covers keeps them looking great and minimizes the spread of allergens throughout your home. It also increases the efficiency of your HVAC system.

Moreover, make sure that your Christmas tree, packages, furniture, or curtains don’t obstruct the floor vents. The supply and return vents should be completely exposed in order to have good circulation.

Adjust Thermostat

As you stock up on food for your guests and figure out where they’ll sleep, it’s also important to remember to adjust your thermostat. A house full of guests can become toasty and uncomfortable very quickly. To ensure a cozy home for everyone, lower the temperature by a notch or two to offset the warmth from your visitors and kitchen. This will keep everyone in your home comfortable and avoid the need to open windows, which can overwork your HVAC system.

Schedule HVAC Maintenance

If you haven’t already scheduled heating maintenance in Rockville, MD, the fall season is the perfect time to do so. Temperatures are chilly at night and pleasant during the day, so homeowners are not completely relying on their heating system for comfort. We recommend scheduling professional heating maintenance before turning on your system for the season, because your heating system may have an underlying problem and not work properly at first. Additionally, the holiday season is a busy time for everyone, including heating and air conditioning professionals!

During heating maintenance in Rockville, MD, our professional technicians will inspect your HVAC unit, searching for signs of trouble that could affect the performance of your system. If there are any issues, our team can fix them without delay. We’ll also clean and lubricate your HVAC unit, fasten any loose parts, and perform various other preventative tasks.

With professional heating maintenance services, you don’t have to worry about emergency breakdowns when you’re busy entertaining. Our routine maintenance services will keep your system running smoothly all through the holidays and beyond.

Glenmont’s Heating Maintenance Services

At Glenmont Heating & Air Conditioning, we offer reliable heating maintenance services to keep your home warm and safe. Heating maintenance is a preventative check-up for your HVAC unit. It boosts the efficiency of your system, extends its lifetime, and keeps your heating expenses low. A typical heating maintenance visit will entail:

  • A thorough inspection of your HVAC system.
  • Cleaning all the components.
  • Checking the moving parts to ensure your HVAC unit is healthy.
  • Safety checks to make sure there are no gas or carbon monoxide leaks.
  • Testing your system to confirm if it’s running at peak efficiency.

Enjoy A Warm, Cozy Holiday Season!

We’re happy to help you enjoy the holidays with those you love without any heating headaches. With our comprehensive heating maintenance in Rockville, MD and surrounding areas, your HVAC unit will be ready to take on the chilly season.

Want to make sure your HVAC system keeps you and your guests comfortable throughout the festive season? Schedule your appointment with Glenmont Heating & Air Conditioning today.

About The Author

Glenmont Air Conditioning & Heating

For over 35 years, Glenmont Air Conditioning & Heating has provided full-service HVAC repair, replacement, and maintenance in the Rockville, Maryland area. Contact us today to schedule service.