From AC to Heat: Preparing Your Home’s HVAC System for the Fall Shift in Iowa
Fall in Iowa is notorious for its weather whiplash from AC to Heat. It’s the season when you might need your air conditioner during a humid afternoon and your furnace by the time the sun goes down. As we prepare for the inevitable drop in temperatures, ensuring your HVAC system is ready for the transition is crucial for both your comfort and your energy bills.
A Note from Chris Wiemann: “The biggest mistake I see homeowners make is turning on their furnace for the first time on the first freezing night of the year without checking it first. Let’s look at how to ease your system into the change of seasons.”
Taking a proactive approach now saves you from emergency service calls when the first hard frost hits. Here is your essential fall HVAC transition checklist.
1. Start Your AC to Heat Prep with a Fresh Filter
Your HVAC filter has been working overtime all summer, filtering out dust, pollen, and allergens. Heading into heating season with a clogged filter restricts airflow. This will force your furnace to work harder and drastically reduce its efficiency.
Swap out your summer filter for a fresh one before you kick on the heat. As a general rule, check your filter every 30 days and replace it at least every 90 days.
2. Clear the Outdoor Clutter
Your outdoor AC compressor or heat pump unit needs room to breathe. Over the summer and early fall, tall grass, weeds, leaves, and storm debris can accumulate around the base and fins of the unit.
Take a few minutes to clear a two-foot radius around the equipment. Brush away autumn leaves, trim back overgrown landscaping, and remove any twigs or branches. If you have a dedicated central AC unit, consider placing a piece of plywood or a specialized cover over the top to protect it from falling ice and heavy snow—just be sure not to wrap it entirely in plastic, which traps moisture and invites rust.
3. Run a Pre-Season Test Cycle for a Smooth AC to Heat Transition
Don’t wait until the house is a freezing 50 degrees to find out your furnace has an issue. Pick a mild day in early fall to give your heating system a test run.
Switch your thermostat from “Cool” to “Heat” and bump the temperature up a few degrees higher than the current room temperature. Listen closely as the system engages. You should hear the fan turn on and the burners ignite.
The “Burning Dust” Smell: It is completely normal to smell a faint burning odor the first time you run your furnace in the fall. This is simply the dust that has settled on the heat exchanger burning off. This should dissipate within 15 to 30 minutes.
What to Watch For: If the system fails to kick on, makes loud banging or scraping noises, or if the burning smell persists, shut it off immediately and call a licensed HVAC technician.
For a deeper dive into optimizing your system’s lifespan, the Department of Energy offers excellent guidelines on maintaining your HVAC system.
Ensure Your Home is Holding the Heat
A highly efficient furnace won’t do much good if your home is leaking all that warm air to the outside. Missing insulation, drafty windows, and poor weatherstripping can send your heating bills through the roof.
If you are currently in the process of buying a home and are concerned about its energy efficiency, consider adding an Infrared scan to your home inspection. Thermal imaging during a home inspection allows us to pinpoint hidden temperature leaks and ensure your new home will stay cozy—and efficient—all winter long.