Holiday season is here, with families across northeast Florida opening their homes for Thanksgiving. Whether you spend the day cooking or watching football, Thanksgiving is a time to pause and reflect, practicing gratitude with loved ones.
The last thing you should worry about on Thanksgiving is a faulty heating system and uncomfortable guests. Help prepare your HVAC for the challenges of Thanksgiving gatherings with these tips.
Change your air filters.
Air filters help keep airborne contaminants and debris out of your HVAC equipment, allowing air to flow unobstructed through the ducts and system. Clogged and dirty air filters can cause your unit to work too hard, resulting in higher utility bills and a home that’s never warm enough.
Air filters can become clogged and dirty depending on a number of factors, including seasonal air changes and welcoming visitors into your home. Give your HVAC a leg up on the season, and your guests the gift of fresh air, by installing a clean air filter before Thanksgiving.
Lower the thermostat.
Kitchens are often the hottest room in the house on Thanksgiving, thanks to the constant heat from the oven and stove. Think about every time you open the oven door – basting the turkey, switching out casseroles, baking the rolls. Each time the oven opens, another blast of hot air enters the kitchen, then finds its way into other rooms of your house.
Prepare your home for the influx of extra heat by lowering your thermostat a few degrees on Thanksgiving morning before the cooking and baking marathon begins. This will allow you to better maintain a comfortable temperature for your guests throughout the day.
Take it outside.
Another great way to keep the temperature down inside your home is to utilize your outdoor grill or smoker. Try cooking your turkey outside on the grill, smoker, or even the deep fryer. This will keep some of the cooking heat and humidity outside of your home, and keep food odors and particulates out of your air filters.
Run the exhaust fan.
All that extra Thanksgiving cooking will increase moisture in the house. Utilize the exhaust fan over your stove to help combat the humidity in the air and move steam, smoke, odors and grease outside.
Venting the air outdoors is preferable to letting it recirculate in the room. Not only will this help keep your kitchen clean by preventing particulates from settling on surfaces, but it will also keep those particulates out of your HVAC air filters.
Check your HVAC system.
The only thing worse than burning the turkey on Thanksgiving is hosting in an uncomfortable house. Make sure your home is welcoming to your holiday guests by scheduling a preventive maintenance visit for your HVAC system.
During the maintenance visit, the HVAC technician will thoroughly inspect and clean your system, ensuring all parts are functioning properly and efficiently. Many small issues can be caught and repaired during maintenance visits, preventing expensive breakdowns on important holidays.
Call DDI Southeast for your HVAC maintenance.
As we begin the holiday season, now is the perfect time to access the condition and performance of your HVAC system. We can’t help with the turkey, but we can help prepare your HVAC for your next holiday get-together. Call our team today to schedule your maintenance visit!