Switching between heat and air conditioning

Are you switching between heat and air conditioning? Are you doing it in the same day? Welcome to the South (and maybe just a little global warming)! A lot of homeowners questions whether it is safe to switch between heating and cooling. Unfortunately, our unique climate here in South Carolina can make for warm days and cold nights, so you might find yourself switching between heat and air conditioning in the same day. While switching back and forth is not inherently harmful for your system, there are a few important things you should know before adjusting that thermostat.

Because of the extra workload it puts on your HVAC unit, switching back and forth between the systems will make your semi-annual preventative maintenance even more important to make sure everything runs smoothly. If you're keeping up with your maintenance, you're already on the right track. If you're not, call us at LHT Cooling, Heating & Refrigeration, Inc., and we will get you back on track.

In the meantime, here are some tips to ensure you are switching in the safest way possible:

• Wait 5 minutues or more between turning off one system and turning on the other. Switching too quickly can blow a fuse or trip your breakers.
• When you do make a switch between heating and cooling, make changes to your set temperature gradually. For example, slowly work towards your preferred temperature by moving just a couple of degrees on the thermostat every half hour or so. Making too big of a jump in temperature while switching systems can strain your HVAC system and cause technical problems.

Your HVAC is an investment, and just like with home ownership, this investment requires regular maintenance. Avoiding maintenance will just cause more expensive repairs down the road and can even lead to dangerous situations. The risk of house fires increase dramatically when dust and debris are left to build up over a period of time. So in our climate here, when you find yourself switching between heat and air conditioning, it is a good idea to get your system maintained bi-annually – at the start of the heating season and again at the start of the cooling season!