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Many people overlook caring for their HVAC equipment before leaving for a trip, and if you’re planning an extended vacation this summer, it’s important that you take steps to ensure your air conditioning equipment is properly prepared for your absence. This will help you avoid potentially costly problems.

In addition to taking all the usual steps to protect your home, including having a neighbor pick up your mail, locking away valuables and keeping lights on so it looks like someone’s home, here are some HVAC-specific tips for your air conditioning and ventilation system to keep in mind:

• Don’t turn off your water heater if you’re unsure of how to re-light the pilot light when you get home. Instead, just turn its thermostat down to save yourself some money on your energy bill so you don’t have to call a technician to get the pilot light working again.
• Don’t completely turn off your HVAC system, especially if you have a whole-house dehumidifier linked to it. Keep it running at a low level to ensure climate control and to prevent the buildup of moisture in your home. If you’re away for a long time and you don’t control your indoor temperature or humidity, you may come home to a hot, stuffy house with low indoor air quality and buildups of mold spores that may require expensive remediation.
• Ensure that any holes or gaps in your eaves, outdoor-linked vents and chimney are blocked off so that rodents can’t sneak into your house. Otherwise, you might return to find a family of squirrels or rats nesting in your house.

If you need any additional tips on how to prepare your home’s HVAC system for your vacation, or if you neglected it before you left and need service to get it working properly again, don’t hesitate to contact us here at Home Comfort Experts. We provide affordable, professional and reliable home heating and air conditioning services to customers throughout the South Bend area.

Home Comfort services the Mishawaka/South Bend areas of Indiana.