It’s that time of year again. It’s hot one day and cold the next. Welcome to the South! Here in eastern North Carolina we get all four seasons… sometimes in the same week! So, we all know how difficult it is to regulate the temperature in our homes during this time. During the day you may need to turn your air conditioning on, but at night you may find that it is too cold to fall asleep. Because of this many homeowners switch their units back and forth between the heat and the air conditioning. And why wouldn’t you? Freezing or sweating inside your home shouldn’t be an option.
But will this switching back and forth damage your unit?
The good news is, NO! Generally doing this will not cause any problems with your system and inherently it isn’t bad for your unit. However, there are a few important things you should know before adjusting your thermostat for the crazy, rollercoaster eastern North Carolina weather.
Because of the workload switching back and forth puts on your HVAC unit, preventative maintenance becomes even more important to make sure everything runs smoothly. If you are already a member of our Comfort Club, great! This means that you are keeping up with your maintenance and are already on the right track. If you are not, call us at Advance Mechanical to learn about our maintenance plans and seasonal tune-ups/inspections.
Here are some more tips to ensure that you are switching between heat and air conditioning in the safest way possible.
- Let your unit completely finish its current cycle before switching it. Once it has stopped, shut your unit off completely.
- Wait five or more minutes between turning off one system and turning on the other. If you switch them too quickly you are at risk of blowing a fuse or tripping your breakers.
- Make sure you don’t set the temperature to something drastically different right away when switching between systems. Raise or lower the temperature by just a couple of degrees at a time. This will keep your system from overworking, and it will help it operate more efficiently.
If you find it hard to maintain a comfortable temperature in your home, contact the professional technicians at Advance Mechanical. We are available to inspect your system, make any necessary repairs and tune-ups, and offer advice on the best way for you to stay comfortable in your home. Also, keep in mind that your HVAC system is an investment and it is important to keep it operating efficiently. Make sure to contact Advance Mechanical in Greenville, NC to learn about our maintenance plans.