Your time is valuable. So is your comfort. Here are some tips to help you prevent problems with your HVAC system, or weather the conditions in your business or home if you’re waiting for HVAC repair..

For air conditioning problems:

• Open the windows and doors to allow hot air to escape.
• Make sure all vents are uncovered. A piece of furniture obstructing a vent in one room can interfere with air flow and temperature in others.
• Consider purchasing an electric fan.

For heating problems:

• If you have a fireplace, use it to warm up your house. Before making a fire, vacuum up any ash and soot in the hearth that may be left over from the fireplace’s last use, especially around your flue. Schedule someone to come over and clean your chimney every once in a while to avoid soot and ash buildup which can cause a fire inside your chimney that can be extremely difficult to put out.
• When stoking a fire, use dried wood as the main fuel. You can use wood around your home for the fire as well, but unless you know it has been properly dried out, don’t use any of the larger pieces of wood and instead use sticks and small branches as kindling to help get the fire started. You may also use old newspapers as a catalyst to get a fire started, but take care not to burn any paper that has a glossy feeling to it or has color in is, as these release dangerous chemicals that are trapped inside your fireplace and released into the outside air.
• Make sure that are of your vents aren’t covered up and preventing hot air created by your furnace to escape.
• Switch out the filter in your furnace annually to avoid buildup and reduce indoor air pollution during the colder months of the year.
• Bundle up in long-sleeved clothes as well as blankets to keep yourself warm.
• Consider purchasing an electric heater. Much like an electric fan, it can keep one part of your home warm if you need it to for a short term usage.

If you’re waiting on your ventilation to be repaired:

• Ensure that all vents in your home/business are uncovered and free of being blocked by other objects.
• Consider having your air ducts cleaned if your vent isn’t working If you’ve ever had vermin such as mice or other small animals, or any sort of mold forming in your home/business, it’s possible that the air quality in your house isn’t as nice as it should be so you need to take measures to protect yourself and your family from indoor air pollution.
• See if you can find any cracks along the ductwork in your house. Little cracks can cause hot and cold air to seep out where it’s not needed, and as a result even if you constantly adjust the thermostat you may not feel much of a difference.