When the fall temperatures finally arrive (and stay) in Maryland, they’ll be followed quickly by all of the ghosts, ghouls, and goblins of Halloween. Halloween is a time for tons of delicious candy, some amazing costumes, and some even more amazing and cool decorations. It tends to be the first holiday of the season that starts the decorating frenzy, especially for those who go all out. Did you know that over 70% of Americans participate in Halloween each year, according to statista.com? Chances are high that you are so when you’re planning on how you’re going to decorate for Halloween, do you think about how it will impact your HVAC System? You probably don’t, no matter if you own or rent. If the thought doesn’t even cross your mind in the slightest bit, let us help you remember how these creepy decorations can put the scare into you this Halloween.
- Don’t block your outdoor unit. If your house is visible from the front and sides, you probably are going to decorate every part that can be seen by the trick-or-treaters. Who knows, you may even have an entire creep-fest maze in your yard that trick-or-treaters have to get through before they can get their candy. If you’re decorating around your entire house, chances are that you’re going to be near your outdoor unit. Do not block your outdoor unit or cover it with the cotton spiderweb decorations. If the air is not able to be adequately sucked into your unit, it could overheat and break down.
- Don’t block your indoor vents. Just like the air needs to be able to move in your outdoor unit, the air needs to be able to get in and out of your indoor unit. If you have any kind of decorations over the vents or sizeable items that block the vent, the air won’t be able to move in and out of the ductwork. This can prevent your HVAC system from heating and cooling properly which will make everyone uncomfortable in your house, especially if you’re cooking for a party. Imagine all of the bodies in the house moving around, laughing and creating a lot of heat, plus the oven being hot from you baking those delicious pumpkin pies and the system not working to cool the house. It will be miserable and your party will be one to remember in a not so good way. Plus, your unit will most likely freeze up from inadequate airflow so it will really be a night to remember for you!
- Don’t allow anything to get inside your HVAC system. So we’ve told you to not allow anything to block your vents which may sound counter-intuitive since we don’t want you to allow anything to go in them either. You have to avoid both! If you have spiderweb decorations or small pieces on decorations that can be sucked into the vent, it will end up in your unit and wreak havoc. They can interfere with the way the system operates by blocking or burning out certain parts within the unit. All of which will cause it to not work. Even if pieces of ghost decorations or spiderwebs get caught on the filter, it can block airflow and freeze your unit.
If you’re not sure if you should be putting a decoration near a vent or your outdoor unit, go with being safe and just don’t so you don’t jeopardize your HVAC sytem. You don’t want to potentially cause something really bad to happen that can cost you thousands of dollars all from a Halloween decoration. If something does happen or your system just isn’t running right, to begin with, give us a call at 301.401.2780 or schedule service on our website.
