Ask Dirk: How to prepare your home for spring

Spring is practically here! It’s time to prepare your home for the new season ahead, so we’ve prepared a spring-cleaning guide, complete with tips for cleaning your home and preparing your HVAC system for warmer weather after a long winter.

Spring cleaning

Take the time to dust, wipe down, and vacuum all the spaces not included in your typical cleaning routine, such as curtains, rugs, ceiling fan blades, blinds, the tops of your cabinets and baseboards. This gets rid of excess dirt, dust, and dander that can be hidden in your home and reduces indoor allergens. Tending to these spaces regularly can improve your indoor air quality.

Now is a great time to check the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors to ensure they are working correctly. You will also want to make sure your fire extinguisher isn’t expired and that everyone in your household knows its location and how to use it.

If you catch a sunny spring day, clear the yard of all the debris that might have accumulated over the winter season. Clear and check that your gutters are intact and working properly and remove any debris on top of or next to your outdoor HVAC unit.

Spring system maintenance

Bi-annual maintenance appointments keep your system running efficiently. A spring maintenance appointment also enhances your AC reliability for the upcoming cooling season. An inspection will identify any failing parts allowing them to be replaced before a problem occurs. It may even prevent a future problem since failing parts increase system stress and can cause other parts to fail.

Spring is a great time to change your air filter. Changing your filter regularly improves indoor air quality and reduces allergens in your home by trapping pollen, dust mites and more.

You’ve probably heard about filters with MERV ratings, as higher ratings can remove a greater percentage of smaller particles in the air. While this is great for allergens, this also means that your system will work harder to pull air through the filter since high-MERV filters are more restrictive to airflow. If you’re interested in using higher-MERV filters, a qualified technician can measure the filter’s air restriction and offer options if it’s too high.

Ductwork evaluation

If you noticed some rooms running hotter/colder than others this winter, it may be time to check your ductwork. Rooms at the end of long and leaky ducts may feel too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer. Properly designed and installed ductwork can make a significant difference in the efficiency of your system, improve comfort in your home, and improve the health and safety of indoor air.

Spring cleaning is a great time to clean your home, check your heating and cooling systems, and make sure everything is working properly. Contact your trusted HVAC professional this spring to get started!