When the first cold snap hits, or the first muggy week of summer rolls in, you might ask yourself, “Should I be doing something about my furnace? Or the AC?”
You probably should, but you just don’t know what yet.
Don’t worry, we’re here to help. Our first-time homeowners’ guide to HVAC maintenance provides a month-by-month checklist for your first year of homeownership.
Focus On The Fall and Spring
Almost everything else in this guide hangs off two professional visits: one in fall, one in spring.
A good rule of thumb, consistent with ENERGY STAR homeowner guidance, is to schedule your cooling system inspection in the spring and your heating system inspection in the fall. Many homeowners tie those appointments to the daylight saving time clock changes so they’re easier to remember.
Connecting the appointment to something you’re doing anyway, and it stops being one more thing to remember.
Get those two appointments on the calendar first.
Everything else is the small, homeowner-doable habits that will keep your system steady until your next professional visit rolls around.
September Through November
Fall in Chicago doesn’t last very long, and the good news is that there isn’t a ton for you to do in autumn.
Start with your air filter. Swap it out before the furnace is running every day, not after.
Most general advice is to change your filter every 90 days, but there are times when you might need to do it sooner. Starting the heating season with a clogged filter restricts airflow, reduces efficiency, and can put unnecessary stress on the furnace.
While you’re at it, test your carbon monoxide detectors and replace the batteries.
Do this specifically when the furnace fires up for the season. The last thing you want is a carbon monoxide detector that’s dead.
Take a walk around the furnace itself. If storage boxes, paint cans, or any other flammable items were moved nearby in the summer, get them out of the way.
December Through February
Wintertime in Chicagoland doesn’t mean new tasks; it just means the ones you already do need to happen more often.
Start with the filter again. The “change it every 90 days” advice you’ll see everywhere is written for a furnace that cycles on and off normally, not one running nearly continuously through one of our beloved polar vortexes.
If you’re a few weeks into a stretch of single digits, check the filter sooner than your calendar reminder says to.
Now, the outdoor unit.
Your air conditioner’s condenser sits outside all winter doing nothing, which makes it tempting to protect. But, you could do more harm than good.
Avoid tightly wrapping the entire condenser. Full covers can trap moisture and promote corrosion. If you use a cover, many HVAC professionals recommend a breathable or top-only cover designed for outdoor condensers.
A wrapped condenser traps moisture underneath instead of keeping it out, and that moisture is exactly what can lead to rust over time.
Brush away heavy snow, ice, or debris if it accumulates, especially before spring AC startup.
One more habit worth building this time of year: walk the house and make sure furniture, curtains, or rugs aren’t covering any vents.
It’s an easy thing to overlook, especially when you’ve rearranged a room for the holidays.
March Through May
Spring in Chicago can bring crazy temperature fluctuations that you to need your heating one day, and air conditioning on full blast the next day.
One mistake we often see is a homeowner picking one thermostat setting and expecting it to hold.
Spring weather can swing dramatically from one day to the next. Rather than leaving your thermostat on a winter setting, adjust your schedule as outdoor temperatures change or let a programmable thermostat handle the transition automatically.
A cool morning might call for a bit of heat; if the afternoon warms up, you may want the system in cooling or neutral instead.
Many homeowners set their thermostats somewhere in the high 60s during the day when they’re home, a bit cooler overnight or when the house is empty, and mid-70s if it’s genuinely warm enough to want cooling.
Treat those ranges as a starting point to adjust from, not a fixed rule; every house and every week’s weather is a little different.
On the physical side, spring is when you should clear whatever has accumulated around the condenser over the winter.
It’s also worth going room to room and clearing dust out of your vents and registers, especially if the windows stayed shut all winter.
June Through August
Chicago summers are hard on a home thanks to the humidity and the strain the weather puts on all your systems.
A musty smell that won’t go away, condensation collecting on windows, and floors that feel sticky even with the AC running are signs of high humidity.
A comfortable summer target is generally somewhere in the 40-55% humidity range indoors. Many smart thermostat manufacturers include humidity tracking as a feature.
Summer is also when your filter works the hardest during the whole year. Keep an eye on the condenser for the grass clippings and other summer debris that can pile up fast.
Resist the instinct to close vents in rooms you’re not using to “save energy.” Closing supply vents throughout the house rarely saves energy and can reduce airflow, making many HVAC systems operate less efficiently.
Flader’s 5-Star Maintenance Program
There are a lot of little things to keep track of as a homeowner, which is why our 5-Star Maintenance Program is designed to make your life as easy as possible.
Our program includes scheduled seasonal visits, priority service, no overtime or holiday fees, and much more. Click this link to learn how our 5-Star Maintenance Program saves you time and money all year long.
Schedule Your Maintenance with Flader Plumbing and Heating
As a first-time homeowner, you already have a lot on your plate. Let us take the heating and cooling off of it for you.
Call us at 847-491-6980 to schedule your appointment and learn more about our 5-Star Maintenance Program.
