christmas-family-presents_400x295_52Many of you will be heading out of town this holiday weekend. With all the preparations to be made before your trip, don’t forget to prepare your furnace or heat pump. Here are four easy things that you can do to save money and reduce the chance of having a problem with your heat when you return.

1. Set your thermostat. To save energy and money, set your thermostat to the low or mid 60’s. Or if you have a programmable thermostat, set it to vacation or away mode. Don’t turn your system off! Without your heat on, pipes may freeze and cause a mess for you to come to. Maintaining a moderate temperature while you’re away will take less energy than trying to quickly warm up your home upon your return. When you get home, remember that the house and everything in it is cool and can take a while to heat up.

2. Replace air filters. We recommend replacing your air filters every 30 days. Having clean filters increases the efficiency the HVAC system and will lessen the chance of your system breaking down while you are on vacation.

3. Seal around windows and doors. If you have the time, apply weather stripping to doors and seal around windows. However, if you are short on time, you can use towels and place them around the bottom of exterior doors to prevent cold drafts from entering your home while away.

4. Have a maintenance check performed. There’s nothing worse than coming home after a long trip to a broken heater. Have a professional do a preventative maintenance check before heading out of town. It will give you peace of mind to know that your unit is operating properly and reduce the likelihood  of coming home to an unwanted surprise.

Davis Heating & AC offers preventative maintenance agreements that can help save you money on your utility bill and reduce the chance of sudden breakdowns. We would be happy to answer any questions you may have about your heat pump, AC, or furnace.