As the summer heat makes its way back into our lives, we heavily rely on our air conditioners to keep us comfortable. While it would be nice if we didn’t have to do any maintenance on our air conditioners at all, that’s simply not the case. Taking the time to properly prepare your air conditioner for the oncoming summer season can help to reduce your risk of experiencing any AC problems when it’s scorching hot outside.
Change Out Your Filters
Every centralized home air conditioning system has a filter that works to trap dust and other unwanted particles from the air that you breathe. Over time, these filters will start to get clogged with these unwanted particles and will need to be changed out. If left unchanged, your air conditioner will have to work harder to push the cooled air through the clogged filter. Your owner’s manual should be able to tell you which type of filter your system needs and how it’s installed. If you have any problems installing the filter, it’s advisable to contact a professional AC company for help.
Clean Your Condensation Drain
Your air conditioner accumulates excess moisture when it’s running. To get rid of this excess moisture, there are built-in condensation lines for your air conditioning system. These carry the excess moisture to the drain. Over time, the pipes and the drain can become clogged with debris or simply hard water build-up. It’s best to clean out your condensation pipes and the drain area before starting up your air conditioner for its summer marathon.
Clean the Coils on Your Outdoor Unit
It’s very common for your outdoor unit to accumulate a lot of dirt and debris throughout the winter. All it takes is a few gusts of heavy wind and dust, mud, and other debris can find their way into the coils inside of your outdoor condenser unit. It’s best to clean all of that gunk out. Be sure that you turn off the power to your outdoor unit before you attempt to clean your coils. This will ensure your safety during the entire process.
Clean the Fins on Your Condenser Unit
One of the most visual parts of any outdoor air conditioning condenser unit is its fins. These are the metal grates that you can see through the condenser’s cover. You’ll want to remove any excess debris from these fins. Be sure to use a soft brush or even a toothbrush to ensure that you’re not bending the fins. The fins are easily bent, and doing so can decrease the performance of your air conditioning system. If you notice any bent fins, it’s best to unbend them. There are various tools online that you can use to do this.
Check the Condenser Pad and Surrounding Area
While you’re outside handling the necessary maintenance for your condenser unit, you’ll want to check the area around it for debris and the pad that it’s positioned on. It’s not uncommon for leaves and other outside debris to get jammed up in the area around your unit. You’ll want to remove this debris so that it doesn’t end up inside your unit.
In addition, you’ll want to check the pad that your air conditioning unit is on to ensure that it’s level. If the concrete pad isn’t level, be sure to pry it up and put some gravel under the low side. Your outdoor condenser unit needs to be level in order to work optimally.
Check Your Venting
One of the best ways to ensure that you’re experiencing all of the cooling effects that your air conditioner has to offer is to make sure that all of your vents are open. It’s not uncommon for a vent to get closed or covered by furniture. When this happens, the cooled air is highly restricted from coming out of the vent. Do yourself a favor and check all the venting throughout your home. Make sure there is a good bit of space around the vent opening to ensure that the cooled air can enter the rooms of your home.
Trusted AC Repair
While performing ongoing maintenance is an important part of keeping your AC system working, sometimes parts break. When this happens, it’s time to call Bernard Heating & Cooling to help. With over 30 years of experience in the Hudson area, we can provide your family with all of their cooling and heating needs.
