As summer gives way to autumn, Melbourne, Florida, residents are preparing to enjoy more comfortable temperatures and relief from summer’s high humidity. However, the fall season can still bring some occasional warm days that call for the comfort of air conditioning. By changing your HVAC system’s air filter and weatherizing your home’s doors and windows, you can keep your air conditioner operating at peak efficiency this fall.
Change or Clean the Air Filters in Your Home’s HVAC System
During the summer, your home’s HVAC system delivers cooling comfort to your home’s living spaces. The change of seasons from summer to fall makes an excellent time to give your system some attention. Take the time now to change or clean the air filter.
First, turn off the system. Locate the air filter (you may need to consult your system manufacturer’s manual to find the filter location). If your system uses a metal or plastic filter, clean it with water from a hose, let it dry completely, and replace it. If you have a disposable fiberglass filter, replace the old filter with a new one.
Set a Reminder to Schedule HVAC System Maintenance
You rely on your smartphone to remind you of everything from work deadlines to items you need to pick up for dinner from the supermarket. Use your smartphone and the power of home automation to set a reminder to schedule HVAC system maintenance with Ellington Air Conditioning & Heat. Regular maintenance can help correct small problems before they potentially turn into large ones.
Weatherize Windows and Doors
Adding weather stripping, insulation, and caulking around door and window openings around your home can prevent conditioned air from escaping outdoors. Start first in the attic, a place that can be a major source of heat gain in your house.
Provide Proper Ventilation
Autumn can sometimes bring warm days to Melbourne. Just as you depend on your air conditioner to keep your home cool during the summer, you may need to turn to your air conditioner to take off the edge from warm autumn weather.
To help your air conditioner perform optimally this season, take advantage of cool evening conditions. Assuming you have a well-insulated home, by the time the inside heats up toward evening, the air will be cooler outside. On days when you can take advantage of some pleasant daytime breezes, you can create a cross-ventilation effect. Open windows on both sides of a room and keep interior doors to rooms open to allow free movement of air.
Use Ceiling Fans to Circulate Cool Air
While ceiling fans won’t directly cool the air inside your home, they can help make your home’s living spaces feel cooler, especially on warm autumn days.
Did you know that you can pair up your ceiling fan with your air conditioning system to maximize cooling in your home? When you turn on your ceiling fan, you can also turn up the thermostat by several degrees and reduce the operating strain on the system.
Install a Smart Thermostat
A smart thermostat can adjust the temperature inside your home according to a preset schedule. This feature is useful if you forget to look at your thermostat before leaving your house for the day. You can also program the thermostat to cool your home at specific times during the day, such as right before you arrive home from work. If you need some help identifying a smart thermostat that will work with your existing home HVAC system, contact one of our Ellington Air Conditioning & Heat HVAC specialists.
Put Your Home’s Window Coverings to Work
Shading windows can help reduce temperature levels inside your home. Outdoor window awnings and shutters can help deflect heat away from your home. Blinds and curtains can also be effective at keeping temperatures inside your home comfortable during warm autumn days.
Welcome the change of seasons to your Florida home with a properly functioning HVAC system serviced by our professionals at Ellington Air Conditioning & Heat. Call us today at (321) 222-0605 (Brevard County).
