How to Protect Your HVAC System from Snow & Ice
Whatever you might have expected to encounter this winter, we bet it wasn’t as bad as it has been. We’ve gotten pound after pound of snow and ice in New Jersey, and the season hasn’t let up at all! Because of this we thought it would be prudent to equip our area with some know-how regarding protecting your HVAC equipment from the weather. Read along to find out how to keep your home heating systems safe, effective, and snow damage free.
Protect the Exhaust & Intake Pipes/Vents
The worry here is that the intake and exhaust pipes or vents commonly found on furnace and boiler equipment will freeze up and accumulate a clog of frozen water. This potentially leads to poor heating performance, and can even cause quite costly breakdowns.
If you’re not sure where these are start at the indoor unit and locate the pipe or system that is heading toward your exterior walls. From there it should be easy to determine! You needn’t do much here, but clearing away ice or snow with a sturdy (but not sharp) tool can save you a lot of troubles.
Clear Away Excess Snow from Outdoor Components
For those of us with forced-air or heat pump systems the outdoor unit can also come to some harm. Water from snow and ice melting dripping from the roof can be a real electrical hazard, while snow piles can gum up the unit itself. We don’t actually recommend covering your outdoor units at all (even the AC, which is almost certainly not in use at the moment), but shielding it from the roof water with a temporary awning and shoveling away snow a few feet from the unit can save you a lot of trouble.
Keep Up with Maintenance
Snow probably isn’t getting into your home, but the chill that comes along with it sure is trying to. This means your heating system is working overtime, which can often lead to excessive wear and tear. Be sure to schedule a heating tune-up this year if you didn’t already, and keep up with changing your air filter more routinely than usual (monthly is best in years like this one).
Heating Services in Old Bridge, NJ
Need some help keeping your heating system combat ready this winter season? Contact Arctic Air Conditioning in New Jersey now to get the services and skilled technicians you deserve!
