HVAC Inspections

Make Sure the Heat and Air Conditioning Works When the Weather Turns Ugly

While winter is in full swing throughout the northern states, most major cities, such as Harrisburg, PA or smaller cities like York, PA, are able to effectively deal with the freezing temperatures due to larger maintenance budgets. Those families and the common man without "deep pockets" will most assuredly find it a greater challenge to make ends meet. One aspect of home and equipment maintenance which can not be overlooked is the HVAC system.

Whether the home is outfitted with baseboard heating, radiant heat or the traditional furnace, the equipment should be inspected annually. Hopefully the HVAC system was inspected before the bitter cold of winter arrived on the scene. The reason for this inspection is to help ensure that the heating will be working properly to maintain a moderate comfort level.

Nothing is worse than being stuck in a snowed in house when the furnace or other heat source fails. Interior temperatures can plummet. The two demographics which are at the greatest risk of sustaining serious injury or negative effects from the bitter cold are the elderly and the very young. Every year there are multiple reports of some elderly man or woman who has expired due to hypothermia or freezing. Those individuals with pre-existing health conditions are even more susceptible.

Different sources will cite a large varying of statistics regarding deaths attributed to cold temperatures. The New York Times, in a ten year old article, reported that there are more than 700 deaths every year due to cold weather temperatures. Other reports state that number as being in the thousands.

The point of this writing is not to instill fear, but merely to point out that in many of these cases exposure to the cold can be detrimental. It is also quite possible and realistic for a home owner to prevent this condition in the first place. Most, if not all heating and air conditioning service companies, provide maintenance contracts and residential inspection services with just this in mind.

The problem is most home owners do not anticipate any heating failure. When a furnace or heat pump does break down the home owner will usually expect that a HVAC service company will be able to come out and simply and quickly repair the equipment. The problem is that every part that may be faulty can not possibly be stocked by a heating and air conditioning company. There are simply too many components and models of furnaces and other heating equipment to accommodate. Some parts may need to be ordered. In this case the home owner will need to wait. In the meantime the individual will need to have a backup emergency plan or suffer the consequences.

To learn more about HVAC Inspections or to receive a free estimate, visit Comfort Zone Heating and Cooling of Lewisberry, PA. Article independently authored by Dan Elliott. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Comfort Zone Heating & Cooling. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.