Air Conditioning Maintenance to Prepare for the Summer

Introduction When summer comes along and the heat becomes too much to bear, most people will dust off their air conditioning unit and plug it in, hoping for some relief. While some lucky owners will actually see the machine come back to life after months of inaction, everybody will not be so fortunate. Without proper maintenance during the off-season, there’s a good chance that your AC will not see the end of the summer (if work at all).

Why – Maintenance In order for your AC to live a long and problem-free life, you need to make sure to keep it in good working condition by checking it up regularly. However, it’s not all about prolonging that useful life. Uncared for air conditioning units will also be less energy efficient, which means that – to get the same result – they will use up way more electricity (= growing utility bill for you).

When – Maintenance Ideally, your check-up should begin in the early spring to leave you and your AC enough time to go through the whole maintenance check-list and slowly get back in the saddle. The danger with these units is to leave them unattended for, for long periods of time. That’s when the dirt will pile up and damage your machine once it’ll be turned back on.

How – Maintenance Without further ado, here’s the list of items to check to ensure that your AC will be running smoothly when summer time returns: Clean/Change the Air Filter Probably the easiest step on this whole check-list, it might also be the most important. Dirty air filters have the potential to break your machine by making it work harder than it should. So, always clean them thorougly, and change them if your unit doesn’t use permanent filters.

How – Maintenance Check the Coolant What’s the level of the refrigerant? If it’s too low, once again, the efficiency of your machine will be affected and you run the risk of having an AC breakdown. Check the Thermostat While this might seem like common sense, it’s still worth mentioning that the thermostat needs calibrating and being switched to cooling mode.

How – Maintenance Check the Outdoor Condensing Unit While you need to verify your indoor installation, don’t forget that AC’s also have an outside portion that serves to make the air circulate. That’s why you must clear it of any weeds or debris that might interfere with its good functioning. Also check the drains to see if they’re not blocked and take a look at the fan blades. Let it Run Last but certainly not least, just let the AC run for a full cycle every now and then. Not only is it good for the system but it will also alert you of any strange noise or malfunction.

Conclusion If you want to be ready to face the summer and its scorching heat, you need to be farsighted and plan well ahead of time. This preparation goes through maintaining your AC unit. Hopefully, with the tips we shared in this presentation, you should experience no issue taking care of your air conditioner and really enjoying your summer months.

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