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With summer just around the corner, most of us are starting to daydream about all the vacations, pool days, and cookouts on the horizon. But along with all the fun of the season also comes sweltering heat and higher energy bills. We don’t mean to be a buzzkill, but one thing’s for sure – when you come home after a day out in the sunshine, you’ll want to be comfortable and cool. And the best way to ensure you can do that is to prepare your home for summer weather now.

Here are 11 simple things you can do to prepare for all the fun summer has to offer without losing your cool.

Prepping Your HVAC System for Summer Weather 

If there’s one thing that will make the biggest impact on your home’s comfort this summer, it’s your HVAC. There are a lot of things you can do now to prep your system for the brutal heat.

Clean Around Your Compressor Outside of Your Home

Your compressor is what creates the cool air that travels through the ducts in your home. Since it sits outside, debris can build up around and even get inside of your compressor, compromising it’s an ability to operate efficiently and effectively. Make a point to clear away anything that could be mucking up your compressor before summer arrives.

Check Your Filters

Just like outdoor debris can hinder your compressor’s performance, inside dust and particles in your HVAC filters can hinder the functionality of your entire system. Even if you haven’t been using your HVAC a lot this spring, your filters will continue to trap anything floating through the air, and those particles can accumulate quickly. Before the summer weather hits, you’ll want to make sure to check your filters to see if they need to be deep cleaned or replaced, and contact our team at Madsen to take care of it.

Inspect Your Air Ducts

When it comes to heating and cooling, duct damage is responsible for about 20-30% of energy loss. That’s why in order to save energy, it’s imperative to check on the condition of your ducts! Taking care of any air leaks will save you money and keep you cool in the long run. In many cases, these leaks may be very minor or even out of sight, but they can make a huge difference on your home’s overall comfort, so it’s worth a little extra effort to ensure nothing is missed. Hiring a professional to do this inspection for you will help you feel confident in your system all summer long.

Clean Your Vents

Before the summer heat gets to you, make sure cold air can get to you by cleaning out your vents! Keep an eye out for dust, debris, hair, and even objects that can fall through your vents – especially if you have pets or little ones running around. Clogged vents will only force your system to work harder and jack up your energy bills, so make sure everything is out of there before summer.

Check Your Thermostat

Now is the best time for a thermostat reset. You’ll want to try to match the seasonal temperature averages and schedule so you can be as efficient and cost-effective in cooling your home all summer long. Setting your thermostat can even help to keep you cool during power outages during summer storms. Make sure to change your batteries and get them tested for performance during your routine HVAC maintenance appointment as well.

Check Out Your Refrigerant Lines

Refrigerant is a key component in keeping you cool this summer. It absorbs & transports heat, pushing the unwanted heat outside all season long. If your HVAC system’s refrigerant lines are damaged or leaking, it can cause environmental issues and stop your system from doing its job altogether. Sit by your unit for a bit and listen for bubbling or hissing noises. If you suspect there’s a leak, a good way to check is by taking some soap and apply it to the spot. If it bubbles, you’ve got a leak. If that’s the case, call a professional to fix the issue right away. Our HVAC experts would be happy to inspect your lines for you as well!

Other Ways to Prepare Your Home for Summer Weather 

In addition to your HVAC care, there are other things you can do to prep your home to beat the heat.

Keep the Sunlight Out

Tackle that sunshine head-on by using curtains, blinds & shades, and reflective window film to keep those strong rays from heating up your living spaces. Planting shady trees and shrubs can also block sunlight from seeping in your windows and hitting your home’s exterior, which can help to keep you cool all season long!

Pay Attention to Airflow

Circulation is half the battle when it comes to cooling your home. By taking advantage of fans and screened windows, you can keep air flowing through your house. When temperatures aren’t unbearable, try to open windows at opposite ends of your house to promote airflow for short periods during the day and at night. Keep interior doors open so you don’t disrupt any potential cross-ventilation. And use fans in the rooms you’re occupying most during the day. They can make it feel up 10 degrees cooler when the airflow hits your skin!

Unplug Appliances & Electronics

Electronics and appliances can generate heat when they’re plugged in. Cut down on this extra heat by unplugging them when they’re not in use. Keep an eye out for light fixtures, your washer and dryer, and any cooking appliances that can be discreetly combating your cooling efforts.

Make Handling the Heat Easier with Help from Madsen!

It’s a no-brainer that HVAC system maintenance plays a major role in your home’s comfort every summer. To get ahead of the heat this summer, our experts at Madsen are here to take these important tasks off your to-do list. Contact our team to schedule your seasonal appointment today!

Spring cleaning time is here! But before you start purging the attic, there are some more important items to attend to. Transitioning to the warm weather after working hard throughout a cold winter can be tough on your HVAC system. To avoid unexpected issues when the real heat arrives, HVAC maintenance is a must!

If your system is working correctly, you won’t be springing for emergency repairs or unreasonably high energy bills. With an efficient HVAC system, there’ll be no reason to sweat this summer! And by the time next winter rolls around, you’ll be nice and cozy warm without worry!

When you care for your system with routine maintanece, it can take care of you for longer. But what exactly does that all entail? Let’s break it down and go over exactly how we make sure your HVAC can serve you well all summer long! We’ve created a spring checklist so you can get a jump start on your system’s care this season.

1. Check Key Components

First and foremost, you need to make sure all the key components are working correctly. You’ll want to inspect and clean fan blades, make sure refrigerant is blowing cold air, and tighten electrical connections. If you notice any leaks or damaged parts, you’ll need to schedule a repair service you need before it becomes a bigger issue — or a complete break down. If this feels a bit overwhelming, contact a professional (like the awesome technicians at Madsen) to come out with an expert eye to make sure nothing gets missed. They can also handle more tricky tasks like lubricating blower fans and coils or inspecting motors and ductwork for tough-to-spot signs of damage.

2. Install an Air Purifier

If you’re sick of seasonal allergies, install an air purifier in your unit. This will go a long way in terms of putting pollen in its place. It’ll also handle mold and germs, improving your indoor air quality so you can breathe easy all season long.

3. Replace the Air Filters

Speaking of allergies, your air filters need to be changed regularly. Over time, they can become clogged with dust, dirt, and debris. And anything that’s stuck in an old filter certainly isn’t going to improve your air quality or air flow. Not to mention, clogged filters create an inefficient HVAC system, which creates conducive conditions for an alarmingly high energy bill. So swap in some fresh filters that’ll keep your air as clean as can be.

4. Check the Lines

Another essential item on your spring checklist is to inspect and clean the lines that run through your unit.

Inpsect refrigerant lines to make sure there’s no leaks or damage hindering its ability to dispense cold air and check the levels to make sure your system can cool your home as efficiently as possible.

You should also look for clogs in the drain line. All of that moisture that running your AC creates should be filtered out through this line — and if it’s not, it could be backed up. If it is, you can have a technician come clear it out so it doesn’t lead to problems later.

5. Clean Vents & Registers

Over the winter, all kinds of unnoticed things have probably slipped their way into your vents and registers — whether it’s your kids toys, your lost key, or all that dog hair. In any event, it’s time to unscrew the registers, wipe down the covers, and clean out the ducts! This will get your indoor air quality back in gear and maybe help you find that lost shed key you’ve been looking for — just in time to start working on your lawn again (yay!).

6. Level the Unit

While this one might seem like a given, you’d be surprised at how often HVAC systems aren’t sitting level — and how much this affects their ability to function! The effects are slow but sure. The concrete pad will tilt over time, straining the coolant lines and causing significant damage if left to its own devices. Make sure this isn’t the case with your system by double checking that it’s still sitting level!

7. Adjust the Thermostat

Once your system’s been inspected, move to the thermostat. You’ll want to make sure it’s working properly and calibrate it for optimal performance. That means setting it to cooling mode and running the air for 15 minutes when you first turn it on.

If you don’t have a thermostat or are looking to upgrade yours to a smart or programmable thermostat, now’s the time to do it! Having one of these thermostats installed and automatically setting the temperature for 8 hours every day saves you up to 10% on your energy bill. It’s worth the initial investment, keeping your home more comfortable throughout the day and eliminating the need to constantly make manual adjustments — saving you time, money, and effort.

8. Clean Up

The inner workings of your HVAC system are obviously important. What’s less obvious is how essential the outside of your unit can be! Over the fall and winter, all kinds of debris can accumulate around your unit easily — from leaves to dirt and debris. These can clog up your unit, get into the coils, and cause damage to the equipment!

Clear leaves from the unit’s top grill and trib nearby pushes to give your unit at least 2 feet of clearance on either side. If you’re not interested in getting your hands dirty, let a professional handle the cleanup and any resulting repairs for you! We hate to say it, but rodents and other pests love to nest in areas like this, so sometimes it’s best to leave it to the professionals.

Spring HVAC Maintenance with Madsen

Our expert technicians are here to ensure every task on this checklist gets accomplished! We’ll make sure your system is ready for the new season. You can rely on us for your routine maintenance appointments, as well as any repairs your system may need along the way.

We’ll keep you comfortable with the affordable and convenient preventative maintenance appointments your HVAC system needs. Contact us to schedule your spring appointment today!

Regardless of what Puxatawny Phil may say, we never actually know what kind of weather we’re in for heading into spring. Sometimes a little bit of sun has those May flowers springing in March and those April showers bring some serious cold fronts. So with such unpredictable weather, how are we supposed to prepare ourselves as homeowners?

We can’t control the weather, but we can control how well we prep for it. Check out these tips to help you ensure your heating and cooling system is more than ready for whatever spring may bring to help you manage those energy bills.

Schedule Your HVAC Maintenance Appointment

You probably had a feeling this one would be on the list! It’s a no-brainer. In order to continue working efficiently and effectively season after season, your HVAC system needs regular care. And now is the perfect time to make sure your system is still running smoothly after a long winter. Before everyone else starts booking their pre-summer appointments, get ahead of the game so you can be confident in the comfort your system will provide.

Tune-Ups

During your maintenance appointment, we’ll evaluate the condition of your system and provide cleaning and adjustments to eliminate any potential problem areas, so it’s ready to handle the extremes. Keeping up with these appointments annually will help you increase the lifespan of your system and keep your energy bills from spiking like those unseasonably hot spring days!

Repairs & Replacements

A HVAC professional will also let you know if your HVAC system, or any of its parts, needs to be repaired or replaced. No system lasts forever, and you’re much better off figuring out if that time has come for you now than when you really need it. Luckily, Madsen’s got you covered for heating repairs, cooling repairs, and any installation service that will ensure your home is comfortably cool all spring and summer long.

Program Your Thermostat

These once-luxury items are now pretty standard in homes everywhere. Most thermostats produced over the last ten years are programmable, so not having a smart system is just not smart. When there are temperature swings afoot, this system really shines allowing you to stay ahead of day-to-day, or even same-day changes in the temperature. Instead of guessing what the day will bring, make a quick adjustment whenever and wherever you are.

It saves energy too, which saves you money in the long run. Getting ahead of a heat spike can save you from having to overwork your HVAC system. Instead of wasting energy when the temperature spikes 20 degrees in an hour, you can turn the heat down beforehand and avoid being uncomfortable for even a moment.

If you’re thinking about installing a programmable thermostat, Madsen’s got you covered.

Get a Dehumidifier

With the hottest season of the year around the corner, it’s time to prepare for those spikes that can really put your AC over the edge. While the heat is hard to beat, the humidity can make it a lot worse. A dehumidifier can go a long way in making your home more comfortable before you have to crank the AC up to full blast.

Utilize Natural Temperature Controls

There are natural ways that you can help regulate your home’s temperature! While these tricks obviously can’t do the whole job, they can stop temperature swings from taking a toll on your HVAC system – and your wallet.

Natural Heat

First of all, your house is made of heavy matter that absorbs, stores, and slowly releases heat. And for the colder days of the month, you can open up all of your south and west-facing curtains and blinds to let in natural, warming sunlight. Use the heat your home has stored and the sun’s warmth before you crank up the thermostat!

Natural Cooling

As for cooling down your home during one of March’s mini-heat waves, shady trees, and thermal window coverings will help you out. Fans and ventilation systems are also winners when it comes to giving your AC a break and stopping your energy bills from skyrocketing! Of course, if the heat does get too much for your AC to handle, we’re here for any cooling repairs you need – but taking advantage of natural cooling can help to prevent the need! You can also cool your home and reduce those energy bills by minimizing sources of heat from the inside. Incandescent light bulbs, electronics, and your stove are all culprits when it comes to your appliances, while hot showers/baths and washing your clothes can also up the humidity, so look for opportunities to cut back on any unnecessary sources of heat throughout your daily routine.

Get Through March & Beyond with Madsen!

Are you ready for spring to get sprung? Madsen’s here to make sure you are! We can set you up with the HVAC system that’s perfect for your home or optimize your current system so it’s ready for anything the season may bring.

For heating repairs, cooling repairs, and installation services, contact our HVAC experts today!

Allergy season is upon us. Once those April Showers pass, May hypersensitivity begins. And instead of loading up on decongestants and eye drops, consider this: the most effective way to dodge this influx of symptoms is to focus on your HVAC system. While you may think isolating yourself indoors will protect you from the dust and pollen, you may actually be making yourself even more susceptible. 

Your HVAC system is your secret weapon to eliminate allergens hovering in your home; it just has to be in the right condition. No one wants to sneeze their way through spring, so here are a couple of proactive measures you can take now to make sure your HVAC is working for you — not against you. 

Is My HVAC System Giving Me Allergies? 

If your HVAC system isn’t properly maintained, it could actually be contributing to your allergies. If you’re sneezing or coughing even when you’re inside, your system could be the culprit. Here are some other signs your air quality is not up to par:

• Dry and itchy skin
• Nose bleeding, sneezing, wheezing, or congestion
• Irritable and congested feeling that goes away when you leave home
• The smell of mold or mildew
• Visible dust or pollen in the air

Don’t wait until you start suffering to take action — make sure to call in an HVAC professional before the worst of allergy season gets here. Madsen will make sure yourHVAC system is keeping your air in pristine condition all season long!

How To Get an HVAC System Ready

There are many factors to consider when getting your HVAC system ready for allergy season. Here are some important tips to follow and how they’ll help keep your home allergen-free.

Filters

Clogged filters can lead to a whole host of allergy-related issues. They circulate dust and allergens through your home, affecting your air quality and aggravating symptoms. While their purpose is to trap these particles so that they don’t bother you, they’ll have the opposite effect when they get inundated with them. It also makes your HVAC system work harder than it has to, which can take a toll on its lifespan. 

Having your filters changed once a month is a surefire way to maintain the best possible air filtration, but even every two or three months will improve your indoor air quality in a significant way. Changing them right before allergy season is a must!

When choosing a filter, go with a HEPA filter. These are High-Efficiency Particulate Air filters that get the job done right. Picking one with a MERV rating of at least 10 will ensure you’re getting a higher-end filter in terms of the quality of air filtration. That means it’ll capture small particles like pollen that could sneak their way through doors and windows, causing you to deal with those itchy, watery eyes you’re not looking forward to.

Vents

Vents need to be dusted and cleaned to get rid of dust or debris. If they aren’t, that debris could circulate throughout the air in your home, making you more susceptible to allergic reactions. Vents can also collect condensation and humidity, which can lead to mold and mildew. And you definitely don’t want to be breathing that in. 

An annual maintenance visit from your HVAC professional can make sure your vents are clean and ready to go. They may recommend installing a dehumidifier to prevent future issues if you’re dealing with mold or mildew. 

Air Ducts

Your air ducts also need to be cleaned in order to avoid the same types of issues. Mold, mildew, and pollen are particularly prone to settling in these spaces before geting picked up and circulated throughout your home, exacerbating allergies and respiratory issues like asthma. 

A professional duct cleaning service and regular HVAC maintenance appointments will solve this problem. A healthy HVAC system is powerful enough to keep air moving along while being constantly filtered, so nothing gets the chance to build up in the ducts!

Air Purification & Scrubbing Devices

There are additional devices that can be installed in line with your HVAC unit to keep your air extra clean. That way, if build-up occurs anywhere in the system, you’ve already got a backup plan in place. Additional air treatment can get rid of any lingering allergens that sneak their way through your system. These devices work before the air reaches vents in your rooms, effectively protecting you from whatever they catch.

Close the Door!

Give your HVAC system a chance to do its job! While fresh air from an open window or door may be tempting when the sun is shining and the birds are chirping, you’re much better off letting that fresh air come from your HVAC system. Because that air will be filtered. 

By allowing air to flow in from outside, you’re letting in all of the allergens your system’s working so hard to keep out. 

Watch Humidity Levels

Humidity is key when it comes to putting allergies in their place. While too much moisture can lead to mold or mildew, dry air isn’t helpful for your air quality either. Having too little moisture is like giving irritants a free pass to roam about your house as easily as possible. 

You want to aim for about 40% humidity for ideal air quality. Using a dehumidifier in very humid areas won’t only fend off mold and mildew — it’ll also keep out fungi, mites, and bacteria. Your HVAC professional can also install a UV light in humid spots that eliminate bacteria and other bio-organisms if they start sprouting up.

Let Madsen Help You This Allergy Season

If you’re ready to get ahead of allergy season, give Madsen a call! We’ll come out to your home for a maintenance appointment and make sure each of these factors are in check, so you won’t be stuck sneezing your way through the season.

Our experienced professionals are happy to help you live your best life this spring. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Most people take the New Year as an opportunity to think of ways to improve their lives. We set little goals for ourselves in hopes that we’ll create some meaningful change in our lives toward the things we want for ourselves. Creating healthy habits, setting career goals, planning to travel more — we love the feeling of newfound motivation the start of the year brings.

But while you’re concocting those personal resolutions to achieve meaningful change, we can’t forget about the role our surroundings play in the things we do and the way we feel. Yes, we’re specifically talking about your home!

We don’t always notice how much our space affects our behavior. We’re here to remind you. So why not kick off 2023 with a couple of home improvements that will help make your resolutions easier to keep! Here are a few ideas…

Re-Model Key Spaces

A little remodeling can go a long way — especially in the right spaces! In addition to adding value to your home, it can provide invaluable comfort and gratification for you as part of living your very best life.

Kickstart Your Kitchen

Starting with your kitchen is a great way to get into a healthier mindset. When you love your kitchen you’ll be encouraged to cook more, saving you money & supporting your physical goals. Investing in newer, energy-efficient appliances will only make cooking more enjoyable, but also help you save even more money in the long run. And if you remodel your kitchen, you can increase your home’s overall value, maximizing your investment in a way that keeps paying off.

Organizing your cabinets and applying a fresh new paint color is a great place to start. If you want some help remodeling your kitchen to get it in gear for the new year, reach out to our experts at Madsen!

Home Office

Your home office is also a key space where a re-model could benefit you immensely. You need a comfortable and inspiring space to be your most productive self this year — and just a couple of design and furniture updates could be the smartest thing you could do. New technology, ergonomic seating (you don’t have to sacrifice comfort for looks, or vice versa!), and storage elements can help you refresh your space and achieve all of your professional goals this year.

Bathroom

Prioritizing self-care? Where better to start than a remodeled bathroom! Investing in a luxurious space where you can unwind with those bath bombs you got in your stocking or complete that new nightly skin-care regimen can elevate these experiences tenfold. Trust us, when you really love your bathroom, it’s a lot easier to stick to those nightly routines. So if you want to dedicate a space to self-care, consider having a team of design experts help make your dream bathroom a reality.

Inspection Leads to Perfection

Homeowners can get ahead of potential problems if they take the steps to learn what they are. Inspecting key areas of your property to catch potential issues or damage to your systems can save you thousands in the long run. Waiting until a full breakdown or a major leak isn’t recommended by our professionals, so if you want the peace of mind of knowing every detail has been looked at by a pro and your home is as efficient and safe as it can be, set up a routine maintenance check with us today.

Indoor Air Quality

It may often get overlooked (because you can’t technically see it), but your indoor air quality is one of the most important factors in a healthy home. Make it a resolution to make checking your HVAC system a priority. Change the filter and schedule a tune-up so it can operate as efficiently as possible. You can also invest in air filters around the house to breathe cleaner air in every room.

Interior Elements

Inspect the floors for wear and tear or movement between boards and give your carpets a deep clean after that holiday hosting. Other tasks like clearing out your dryer’s lint ducts and refrigerator coils, inspecting your water heater, and checking your foundation for signs of termites are all important tasks to add to your routine to-do list. Make a commitment to maintaining one of your resolutions this year!

Exterior Features

Next stop, outside! Do a thorough check of your home’s exterior, from your siding to outdoor lighting, gutters, and roof. If you find any issues, such as buckled panels or fallen shingles make sure to get them fixed sooner than later to avoid worse and more costly damage. Plus, boosting your property’s curb appeal is a great way to gain a newfound sense of pride in your home!

De-Clutter Storage Spaces

Your garage, closets, attic, and cabinets might not be as organized as they could be — for many of us, it’s out of sight, out of mind. But this can be the year you can change that! Getting organized starts with clearing out the clutter. Take one storage area at a time, and start sorting out what you want to keep, donate, or throw away. And for every new item you got for Christmas or plan to treat yourself to in the New Year, make it a goal to toss out or donate an old one!

Once you’ve whittled down the haul, it’s time to organize. Whether you invest in some storage solutions or a professional organizer, create a system that works for you, so you’ll be more likely to maintain it! Make sure you can access items you use more often easily, so you’re not making life more difficult on yourself. That kind of defeats the purpose.

Create a Cleaning Plan

Creating a cleaning plan is a great way to make sure all your de-cluttering and organizing efforts actually last. Without a cleaning plan in place, you’ll simply have to put in the same amount of effort again next year. Plan out a schedule you can stick to regularly — start small and go from there.

Make a list of daily cleaning tasks by focusing on things that affect your family most often — like dishes, laundry, furniture, or floors. Set one of these tasks for each day of the week, giving yourself a day or two off to make it more manageable. Pro tip: divide your house by segments, so that maybe Wednesdays are for bathrooms and Saturdays are for the kitchen. Put these schedules in your phone calendar or planner, and take pride in sticking to it — unlike those workout resolutions last year.

Start Your New Year Right!

Following through with even just a few of these resolutions will help your home feel new again. And we just know that a rejuvenated space will catapult you to reach your goals!

Focusing on the heart of the home and making subtle changes and new routines for every room in the house will set you up for success. Let’s make it your most comfortable and cost-effective year yet! A cleaner, healthier space will promote your physical, mental, and emotional health, so make sure you start 2023 with these home improvement projects to make it the best it can be!