How to Prep Your HVAC in Mabank, TX Before Your Winter Vacation

The holiday season is a time of happiness, cheer and families heading out to enjoy their winter vacations. Holiday trips are great, but homeowners should make sure their homes are safe and protected from criminals, bad weather events and indoor conditions before they leave. Topping the list is prepping your HVAC system.

Here are some tips to help you prepare your HVAC in Mabank, TX before leaving for your winter vacation.

Test your heating system

Unless you want to come home to an ice-cold house after a week away, make sure you schedule a furnace tune-up before you leave. The best time for a tune-up is in the fall or early winter—book a service visit as soon as possible so your HVAC technician can save you a slot. If your yearly furnace tune-up is already complete, then now is the time to double check that it’s working properly. Do this by checking the furnace pilot light, thermostat and air filter, and look all around the unit for signs of trouble.

Leave your HVAC on

Logic would have you turning off and leaving off your HVAC system while you are gone on vacation. After all, you won’t be there, so who cares what the house feels like? However, it’s not a good idea to turn the system off. It might seem like a waste of energy, but the hot and cold temperatures combined with low or high humidity can take a serious toll on your home and belongings inside. This includes books, art, furniture, other decor and houseplants. What to do instead is lower the thermostat to an indoor temperature about 10 degrees below where you’d normally set it. Everything inside will be safer, and your heating bills won’t go through the roof.

Change the air filter and clean around the unit

HVAC air filters need to be checked every year and changed when dirty. If you have not done this yet this season, make sure you do before leaving on winter vacation. Your heating system should be set to run periodically while you’re away to keep indoor temperatures and humidity levels balanced. You’ll want your air filter to last at least until you get back from your trip because, as mentioned above, this protects your home and possessions from damage.

After replacing the air filter, clean the area around the indoor air handling unit. Create a minimum three-foot clearance around the unit and HVAC system components to ensure there’s nothing nearby that can burn, such as storage boxes, holiday decorations and other materials.

Set your water heater

Your home water heater constantly has hot water at the ready for you to use. Since you won’t need hot water while you’re away on vacation, set the water heater to vacation mode, or if you have a traditional water heater tank, simply lower the temperature on the unit’s dial. Remember to turn it back up when you come home.

If your HVAC in Mabank, TX is in need of repairs or maintenance or has been giving you trouble, don’t hesitate to contact the professionals at Ken’s Comfort Zone Air Conditioning for help. Call today to schedule an appointment!

Categorised in: HVAC

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