St. Cloud Area HVAC Expert Shares Winter Heating System Maintenance Checklist

(KNSI) — Cold weather is returning to central Minnesota, which means it is time to make sure heating systems will make it through the winter.

Jeremy Salzbrun of H&S Heating and Cooling tells KNSI Radio that a once-a-year inspection from an expert is a good idea, but there are several smaller things homeowners can do to keep their HVAC unit humming along.

He says, “Even though your [air] filter says it can last three months, I don’t believe that. Once a month is very, very important if you got a one inch filter.”

For those who tend to be hands on with do-it-yourself projects, actively putting their air system through its paces once a month isn’t a bad idea. Salzbrun says his crews have already uncovered a pair of broken heat exchangers this season.

Another component of the HVAC system that needs routine maintenance is the water heater. Salzbrun recommends flushing it once a year.

Finally, there is the air exchanger, which Salzbrun says is a vital component in the wintertime. “Houses are sealed up so tight that we have to mechanically ventilate them. And with the air exchange, that’s going to draw the moisture out in the wintertime, to alleviate to that condensation that happens on your windows.”

Moisture is the enemy of windows, wood, and more inside the home. With that in mind, Salzbrun recommends being hands off with the thermostat. He says he keeps his at 72 year round and does little active management. Turning down the HVAC system means the cold and damp settle on sheetrock, insulation, even furniture and cabinetry.

In the end, he says maintaining HVAC systems isn’t complicated or expensive, but skipping it can be.

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