Eight Tips to Prepare Your HVAC System Before a Vacation
The summer break is an opportunity to unwind and take a much-needed rest from the day to day. Prior to departure, double-check your home and HVAC are ready for while you’re gone. A little preparation goes a long way toward preventing expensive problems and keeping your home safe until you return. Use the following eight handy tips to prepare your HVAC system for vacation so your return home is seamless and stress-free.
1. Get Your HVAC System Tuned Up
One of the best ways to keep your HVAC in top shape is to set up a maintenance visit ahead of your vacation. A qualified technician will examine your HVAC, clean important parts, and fix any problems they find. This preventive measure minimizes the chance of sudden breakdowns and maintains system efficiency.
2. Clear Weeds and Yard Debris from the Outdoor Unit
Along with a professional tune-up, you can further boost HVAC performance by clearing out leaves, dirt or grass clippings near the outdoor unit of the HVAC system. Ahead of your trip, set aside a few moments to spray it with the hose and clear any remaining debris. This simple step can help your system run more efficiently and prevent any issues while you’re gone.
3. Check the Ventilation Registers to Make Sure They’re Open and Unobstructed
Blocked vents lead to uneven temperatures and extra stress on your HVAC system. To avoid this, check that all the ventilation registers are open and not obstructed by shelves, the carpet or curtains. This ensures steady airflow and stops any portion of your home from feeling excessively hot or cold.
4. Set Your Thermostat Wisely
Adjusting your thermostat is an easy way to save energy and lower those energy costs while you’re out of town. Set your thermostat around 85°F when traveling in the summer to minimize cooling an empty house without allowing the interior to overheat.
If energy efficiency is a top priority, consider installing a smart thermostat before your vacation. This device enables you to manage schedules and settings as long as you have an internet connection via a tablet or smartphone. You can keep an eye on the temperature based on weather forecasts and be alerted right away if any trouble shows up.
To guarantee a pleasant return home, direct your smart thermostat to begin cooling things down for a while before you’ve arrived. If you haven’t installed a smart thermostat yet, consider asking a friend to handle changing the thermostat. This way, you can come back to a comfortable home, even after saving on energy bills for the duration of your trip.
5. Set Temperatures with Pets and Plants in Mind
If you have cats, dogs or even indoor plants that remain in your home while you’re away, keep them in mind when setting the thermostat’s schedule during your absence. The official DOE recommendation of 85°F can be too warm for them. Consider boarding any pets, or ask a friend or neighbor to pet sit and make sure the plants are watered. Offer some directions on paper for setting the thermostat if necessary.
6. Use Your Curtains and Drapes Wisely
Strong afternoon sun hitting open windows can significantly raise the temperature, causing your cooling to work harder in the summer. Close the blinds, any curtains or even sunshades to avoid extra heat in your home during the mid to late afternoon, avoiding the extra heat and easing the burden on your cooling.
7. Seal Leaks and Drafts
Examine the windows and doors for air leaks before leaving on vacation. Fixing drafty windows enhances air tightness and helps ease some of the stress on the HVAC. Easy solutions include caulking stationary joints and adding weatherstripping seal windows and doors better. These steps make a big difference in ensuring consistent temperatures while you’re gone.
8. Turn Off Electrical Devices and the Water Supply
To conserve additional energy and avoid any electrical problems, unplug the appliances and other electronics you won’t use before it’s time to leave. This includes things like televisions, PCs, gaming consoles and most small household appliances. Plugging as many of them as you can into surge protectors makes it easy to turn off the electricity to everything all at once.
You might also want to turn the main water shut-off valve or just the water supply to specific plumbing fixtures and appliances with the valve on the wall nearby. This kind of precaution helps secure your house from leaks that could cause significant damage if you’re not there to catch them.
Ensure a Relaxing Vacation with Rob's Albertan Service Experts
Whether you’re eagerly awaiting your dream vacation or just returned to find something about the HVAC system isn’t working, Rob's Albertan Service Experts can help. We are proud to provide speedy, safe solutions to any and all your comfort problems.
Nothing matters more to our certified technicians than your complete satisfaction. If you ready for an appointment for AC maintenance before you leave town, please contact us to arrange for a technician to come out. We’ll do whatever it takes to make a meaningful difference in your home comfort and day to day.
