Prepare Your San Antonio Home for Winter

Texas winters are mild compared to much of the U.S.

While we enjoy daytime temperatures in the mid to upper 60s during the winter months, our northern neighbors face daily exposure to freezing outdoor air.

Their fall days are spent tuning up snowblowers and furnaces in preparation for cold weather; Texans enjoy sunshine and sweater weather without mittens, hats, and snow shovels.

With the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Climate Prediction Center forecasting average winter temperatures and below normal precipitation for the next three months in Southern Texas, who needs to prep for winter here?

You do! Even if you do not use your furnace or heat pump extensively, you want to be sure they are working efficiently and safely.

Beyer Air Conditioning and Heating can help you take proactive steps to ensure your San Antonio, home stays comfortable, and your energy bills remain manageable this winter.

Getting Your HVAC in Shape for Winter

Winter prep starts with your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Here is a list of recommended actions for your Bexar County home:

Winter Furnace Tips:

• Maintenance: Schedule professional maintenance. A tune-up includes cleaning the burners, checking the heat exchanger, lubricating moving parts, and ensuring the thermostat operates correctly. 

• Thermostat: Consider upgrading to a programmable or smart thermostat with Wi-Fi capability. You will save energy, lower utility bills, and gain the convenience of adjusting your temperature at home from an app on your smartphone.

• Filter: Check your air filter monthly for dirt and clogs. Change it if necessary. Consult with your furnace operating manual for guidance on how often to change your filter. Some filters need replacement every three months, and some can last six months to a year.

Winter Heat Pump Tips:

• Outside Unit: Clear any obstructions, such as leaves, debris, and branches, that might restrict airflow.

• Maintenance: Schedule a tune-up. Beyer Air Conditioning and Heating will inspect your system, check for worn parts, look for refrigerant leaks, and ensure your heat pump runs efficiently.

• Filter: Inspect your heat pump air filter for dirt and replace it with a clean filter if necessary.

At Beyer Air Conditioning and Heating, we make annual fall maintenance convenient whether you own a furnace or heat pump. Check out our maintenance plans that accommodate all budgets.

Weatherize Your Home

Keeping conditioned air inside your home and outdoor air outside is essential to your comfort, no matter the season. When temperatures soar next summer, you will be happy you took steps to seal cracks and fill gaps.

Weatherstripping doors and windows and caulking holes and gaps can significantly reduce energy loss and improve home comfort.

Insulation in your attic, walls, and floors can help maintain a consistent temperature, reduce the workload on your heating system, and lower energy consumption. Ask a professional installer if your home is adequately insulated.

Consider adding ceiling fans to help distribute warm air throughout your home. They can also circulate cool air during the summer!

Preparing for Wildfire Smoke

The Texas A&M Forest Service responded to 3,742 wildfires from 2016-2020, with 37 percent of the total annual wildfires occurring during hunting season, from September through January. Unsafe burning of debris and improper equipment use caused more than half of the fires.

Wildfires destroy millions of acres, destroy property, endanger lives, and dirty the air we breathe with smoke. That smoke can enter your home and jeopardize your health.

We can help maintain indoor air quality (IAQ) when it is smoky outside by installing a whole-house air purifier or filtering system before wildfire season intensifies. One of our pros can assess your home and offer options to keep your environment safe from smoke.

Beyer Air Conditioning and Heating proudly offers Lennox products, including ultraviolet (UV) germicidal lights, hospital-grade filtration systems, and the top-of-the-line Lennox PureAir™ air purifier, which removes particles, germs, household odors, and chemical vapors. Browse our Lennox IAQ inventory to find the perfect match for your home.

Preparing for Power Outages

Like wildfires, power outages can happen at any time of the year. Unfortunately, in Texas, they happen frequently.

According to Climate Central, a nonprofit focusing on climate change and how it affects lives, Texas had the most weather-related power outages, 210, from 2000-2023 compared to all other states. Severe weather caused 58 percent of weather-related outages, and winter storms caused 23 percent.

If you lived in Texas, particularly the San Antonio area, during the 2021 winter storm crisis, you saw the freezing rain and felt the brutal wind chill, and arctic temperatures first-hand for eight grueling days. You likely experienced a power outage and struggled to stay warm, cook food, and access water if your plumbing froze.

Let Beyer Air Conditioning and Heating install a whole-house generator in your South Texas home, and you will never experience an outage again.

A whole-house generator can power your HVAC system, lights, appliances, and digital devices when utility company-supplied power goes out. The generator automatically senses the outage and kicks on, operating on natural gas or propane. When utility power returns, the generator returns to a standby mode.

A whole-house generator brings peace of mind and comfort to your family.

Call the HVAC Experts in San Antonio

Whether you need a heating system tune-up, a standby generator, or an air purifier, make Beyer Air Conditioning and Heating your go-to for winter preparation in San Antonio. Call us at 210-503-7161 or request service online.