How to brace your home for frigid winter weather

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - We talked to an HVAC company about the best ways to help your system keep up with the dropping temperatures.

“It was my birthday present from my husband because my birthday is Dec. 20, so it’s a big week,” said Christy Beckham.

Her family has lived at the iconic house on Greene Street for 13 years, and they always go all out for the holidays.

“This house was built in 1899 and still has the original windows and a lot of those things, so it’s not energy efficient, and it’s not a warm home in the coldest of days,” she said.

It’s prep work that started back on Thanksgiving. Something that Chris Thatcher can relate to.

“We get a lot of calls nowadays or right now, ‘hey, we need you to come service and maintenance our unit.’ Now’s not the time to do that. A couple of months ago was the time to do that,” said Thatcher, Polar Mech Heating and Cooling.

He’s been involved as a contractor for 30 years and with Polar Mech Heating and Cooling for the past 15. He says the number one line of defense is your home’s filters and routine maintenance.

He says you should keep your heat pumps on emergency heat with below freezing temps. Have a carbon monoxide detector for your gas heater and close any foundation vents your home has to avoid freezing underneath.

“Do yourself a favor, in the springs and in the fall, before it gets hot and before it gets cold, call us,” said Thatcher.

Stay up to date on winter weather by downloading the WRDW Weather App on Google Play or the Apple App Store.

Additional Tips From Local Experts

• Leave your thermostat set to your normal comfort level.
• It’s normal for your heat pump to form ice on it.
• Start heat pump’s ‘defrost cycle’ when it gets very cold outside. This cycle will pump hot refrigerant back to your heat pump to melt the frost and ice. Cool air may temporarily come out of your vents and registers at this time.

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