How To Secure Your HVAC for Winter

With Ann Arbor’s extreme winter weather right around the corner, it’s essential to winterize your outdoor HVAC unit. Doing so will protect it from the brutal elements and ensure it will work when you need it in the summer.

Call Iceberg Heating & Cooling at 734-342-3420 to schedule your AC maintenance or repair in Southeast Michigan.

Steps To Take To Secure Your HVAC During Winter Months

Before winterizing your HVAC unit, you’ll need gardening gloves, a water hose, foam pipe covers, duct tape, and a piece of plywood large enough to cover the top of your outdoor unit.

Step 1: Shut the Unit Off

Locate your HVAC’s power circuit, usually a box mounted outside your home close to your HVAC unit. Flip the switch to “off.” This prevents your HVAC unit from accidentally turning on during a random warm winter day, which could let in moisture that will later freeze when the temperature drops again.

Step 2: Clean the Unit of Any Leaves or Debris

Remove leaves, twigs, dirt, and other debris around and on your HVAC unit. You can use a broom to knock stuff off your HVAC.

Step 3: Wash the Unit

Gently wash your outdoor HVAC unit with a garden hose to remove leftover dirt and grime. Don’t use a pressure washer since it can damage the unit’s fins. Cleaning off the unit prevents rust and corrosion, which can destroy your HVAC unit.

Step 4: Insulate the Pipes & Unit

Wrap exposed pipes with foam pipe covers and secure them with duct tape. Insulating your entire outdoor unit with a breathable, water-resistant HVAC cover is also a good idea. Insulating your HVAC unit keeps your pipes from freezing and bursting.

Step 5: Cover the Unit With Plywood

Place a piece of plywood on top of your unit and weigh it down with bricks or heavy rocks to protect it from falling icicles and other debris. Doing this will protect it from falling objects, snow, and ice.

Why It’s Important To Secure Your Unit

Securing your outdoor HVAC unit for winter, especially in Michigan, is essential because it protects your expensive HVC unit from the elements. Exposed components are vulnerable to freezing, which can result in damage. If you winterize your HVAC unit, it’s more likely to run as efficiently as the previous season, with few maintenance issues.

Covering your HVAC unit also keeps pests from making winter nests inside your unit. By taking precautions and following the above steps, you can ensure that your HVAC unit will survive the winter and not be worse for wear when spring comes.

Choose Iceberg Heating & Cooling for AC Services

Iceberg Heating & Cooling has been keeping homes and families in Southeast Michigan comfortable year-round for over 25 years. Whether it’s new HVAC installation, repair, or routine maintenance, our technicians are ready to service all HVAC brands. When it comes to a company that puts customers’ comfort first and guarantees all work provided, you’ve just spotted an Iceberg.

Don’t wait to prepare your HVAC system for winter. Contact the Iceberg Heating & Cooling HVAC technicians today at 734-342-3420 to schedule your repairs or maintenance.