Preparing Your HVAC System for Utah’s Seasonal Changes

There are four seasons in a year, and you might expect that this would lead to predictable weather patterns no matter where you live in the country. However, if you choose to take up residence in Utah, this is simply not the reality. Instead, you will be met with weather and climate challenges throughout the various seasons, many of which you will have no way of predicting. 

Take the upcoming spring season as an example. The Utah Statesman reported the following: 

“Spring is a transition time between winter and summer; we are getting more solar radiations which drives the high pressure and low pressure systems,” said Robert Gillies, the director of the Climate Center and a Utah State University climatologist. “Spring comes with a high degree of variability.”

In other words, there is a lot that can change from day to day when it comes to the weather in Utah, and that is a good reason to consider how you will prepare your HVAC system for those dramatic changes. 

Reasons Why Utah Weather is Particularly Brutal on HVAC Units

It is not only true that Utah weather has a tendency to change rapidly and unpredictably, but there are elements of that weather that are particularly challenging on HVAC units as a whole. Here are some of the reasons to be concerned: 

• Dry Air Can Strain Components – The individual elements within your HVAC unit can be severely strained due to the dry air that engulfs much of the state. Those components have to work even harder than they otherwise would have, and that can cause additional strain on them. 
• Dust/Debris Buildup – The dust and other debris that circulates through the Utah air can build up on HVAC components and also contribute to additional strain as well. 
• Long Heating Seasons – The length of time that heat is demanded from an HVAC unit just to get it through the Utah winter can be brutal. All of that hard work can cause HVAC units to burn out sooner than they might have otherwise. 

These are just some of the range of issues that one might face while dealing with their HVAC unit in Utah. Make sure you take this into full consideration as you begin to plan for how to have your HVAC unit ready for spring in Utah. 

Switching from Heating to Cooling: Steps to Take as Spring Arrives

The sudden switch from heating to cooling can be rather jarring, and that is why there are certain steps that you should take to prepare your HVAC unit for this sudden change. The following steps are all advisable things to do to make this switch: 

• Clean or Replace All Air Filters – A clogged-up air filter can cause major issues for your HVAC unit, and ultimately, it may even cause the unit to not have any value for you at all. As such, you should take a moment to clean or replace every air filter in your system. 
• Fully Inspect the Outside Unit – It is ideal to fully inspect the outside unit to attempt to detect anything at all that could be amiss. If there are any components that are not operational as well as they should be, or any other issues at all, you need to know about this before spring arrives. 
• Test the Unit Before Hot Weather Arrives – You don’t want to wait until you are dealing with oppressive heat before you test the A/C unit at all. Instead, you should give it a bit of a test drive ahead of time to ensure that it can withstand whatever the season might throw at it. 
• Bring in the Professionals – There are some moments when the only logical thing to do is to bring in the professionals. Even a simple tune-up for your A/C unit can be best performed by professionals. They can check on coils, refrigerant levels, and any number of other important aspects of your unit. 

Knowing where your unit stands before spring is fully upon you is the best way to guarantee that it will be ready for the upcoming season. After all, you don’t want to find yourself in a situation where you can’t get the cool air that you need to combat rising temperatures.

How to Know if Your HVAC Unit Isn’t Functioning Properly 

There are some tell-tell signs that your HVAC unit might not be handling the transition to warmer weather as well as you might like. If you notice any of the following, understand that you might need to take action to get a service technician out to your property: 

• Unusual spikes in energy bills
• Odd noises coming from the HVAC machine
• Weak airflow 
• Uneven heating or cooling performance

Any of these things may indicate that there is an issue with your HVAC unit that you need to address as soon as possible. If you notice any of these issues with your unit, take action as soon as possible to get your unit back in tip-top shape. 

A Little Maintenance Can Save You a Lot of Heartache 

At the end of the day, a little maintenance can save you a considerable amount of heartache when it comes to your HVAC unit. Taking some early and responsible steps right now can help you avoid costly repairs down the line. Most would significantly prefer to deal with their unit’s maintenance needs now instead of taking a chance that something won’t break down on them in the future. 

Are you concerned about how your HVAC unit will be able to keep up with the changing Utah seasons? If so, reach out and contact us today. Our team is more than happy to come out and check on your unit today. We can explore any potential maintenance issues that you might need to address before they become any worse. Taking care of this now will bring you the peace of mind that you deserve as you head into a new season in Utah. Let us help you get to that point.