AC Maintenance Tips Before Summer Arrives
Care and maintenance are vital to keep your AC unit functioning properly. The last thing you want is for it to break down during the hot summer months. To avoid any interruption in your AC working all summer long, it’s best to have a professional perform regularly scheduled maintenance on your unit. Otherwise, you may find yourself with a broken AC unit and costly repairs. The heat will have you stressed out enough, don’t enhance it with having to pull out your credit card or dive into your savings to fix or even repair your AC unit at the last minute.
There are some maintenance tasks you can perform on your own to keep your unit in tip-top shape. However, it’s important to know what these tasks are and which ones you think you can handle on your own. If this seems far outside your scope, it’s always best to hire a professional to inspect and service your AC unit. If you were to incorrectly perform a task on your unit, you may wind up damaging it.
Read on to learn about a few tips to for keeping your AC unit running smooth and cool this summer.
Clean and Replace the Air Filter
This is a simple task almost anyone can do. Air filters need to be regularly cleaned and replaced. The amount of cleaning depends on the season. During the summer, clean the filters every month since this is when you use your AC unit the most. During the Spring, it only needs to be cleaned once or twice. Keep an eye on it and check it regularly to make sure it isn’t clogged with dirt, dust, and allergen particles that interrupt your unit’s cool airflow. To replace the air filter, you can follow the instructions on the package or hire a professional to help you with this.
Inspect the Thermostat
After cleaning or replacing the air filter, next check the thermostat. If your thermostat is not working properly, your home will not be entirely cooled. One room could be warm, while another is freezing cold, or the entire house could be at a higher temperature than what it should be. The best thermostats to use with an AC unit are the programmable ones. They are easy to use and keep your property at a nice, comfortable temperature. They also save on power and the costs of running your AC unit.
Inspect the Condensing Unit
Your condensing unit has an attached fan that should be in good working condition at all times. For this reason, it must be regularly inspected. What you want to look for are any chips or cracks on the fan blades. If you notice any, the fan should be immediately replaced. For older model AC units, we recommend applying oil to the fan motor on a regular basis. A professional HVAC technician can help you with this task.
Inspect the Wiring System
This is one maintenance inspection that you should definitely leave to the professionals. There are many wires connection your AC unit and it takes special knowledge to understand what goes where, why it goes there, and when it needs to be repaired or replaced. However, you can check the wires from time-to-time to look for any abnormalities. When you have your AC unit routinely inspected, the HVAC expert will inspect the wires for you. If they are damaged and need to be repaired, he will explain to you why and answer any questions you have. For example, the AC professional will check the system capacitor using an electrical tester, something the average homeowner can’t do.
Clean Your AC’s External System Part
The AC unit is tucked away, out of sight and out of mind. It’s forgotten all winter and remembered again when the weather turns hot. Just like any other piece of equipment in and around your home, it collects dust, dirt, and other contaminants that wreak havoc on your AC system’s air flow and overall effectiveness. The external part of your system is no exception and must be regularly cleaned. Before doing this, be sure to shut off the system’s power and then you can remove all the debris and gunk with a regular garden hose. Better yet, call in a professional HVAC technician to do this task for you.
The Bottom Line
As you can see, proper maintenance for you AC unit is a must. It will save you money, ensure your unit remains functional during the summer, and catch any repairs that need to be done. If you don’t want to find yourself living without AC this summer, it’s best to give (insert company name here) a call to come out and take a look at your AC unit ASAP. In the meantime, be sure you have extra air filters on hand and utilize the tips mentioned above in order to keep an eye on your AC unit.
