We’re midway through February, but winter is still in full swing and Jack Frost isn’t quite ready to rest. Most homeowners in the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest and New England hardly bat an eye at snow showers and icy temperatures in late winter, but for homeowners in southern states, a few inches of snow can cause chaos. Think major traffic jams, school closures and mad dashes to the grocery store for bread, milk and flashlight batteries. At worst, we experience situations like the 2014 snowmageddon that brought metro Atlanta to a standstill.

No matter what part of the country you live in and how well-equipped your municipality is for snowfall, there are things you as a homeowner should be doing to prepare. Ensuring your HVAC system is winter-weather ready is an important step. Here’s what to keep in mind as you prepare your heat pump for impending snow or cold fronts.

Inspections and Cleaning

Routine maintenance on your system is crucial for making sure it’s performing at its best.

Ask an HVAC technician to inspect your system before cold weather strikes, especially if your units are more than a few years old.

Your technician can check for leaky or blocked ductwork in a ducted system, or for uneven airflow from your ductless system. They’ll assess for any issue that may affect the performance of your HVAC system.

This proactive approach lowers the likelihood of your system conking out during the worst of the cold, when your heat pump has to work a little harder to heat your home. When you hire a professional, who knows the common problem areas to look for and proactively tune-up your system, you reduce your odds of suffering in cold or paying big bucks to have your system fixed in the midst of a cold snap.

Also, if you’re at home taking refuge from the cold, you’ll want the best possible indoor air quality. If you have Zoned Comfort Solutions® from Mitsubishi Electric, you can easily remove, wash and reinsert your indoor unit’s filters. These filters can help reduce contaminants including allergens, viruses and bacteria. Filters last up to 10 years, so you can start each month with a freshly cleaned filter for the cost of running your faucet for a few minutes.

Out of the Elements

Another way to help keep your units running in tip-top shape, all winter long, is by giving thought to how they’re installed. Since heat pumps pull heat from ambient air, it’s important to keep the outdoor unit’s surface clear from snow and ice buildup. Your HVAC contractor should consider average snowfall and mount your heat pump above your snow line.

Hyper-Heat

In its early days, heat pump technology was ideal for mild climates, but didn’t quite measure up to the needs of homeowners in the country’s coldest climate zones. However, more and more homeowners are realizing the capabilities of modern heat pumps and switching from furnaces and fossil-fuel-burning systems to all-electric systems.

That changing perception is in part thanks to Mitsubishi Electric’s Hyper-Heating INVERTER® (H2i®) technology. Using an innovative, enhanced compressor system, hyper-heating units can deliver 100% heating capacity at -4° F and up to 76% heating capacity at -13° F.

This is a game-changer for cold-climate homeowners and one of the easiest ways to ensure your HVAC system can stand up to winter’s coldest days.

To learn more about our energy-efficient, cold-climate-ready heat pump options, please visit mitsubishicomfort.com.