AC Maintenance: Turning on AC After Winter
Keep Cool: Essential AC Maintenance After Winter
The cooling season is young, but it has begun in earnest. Mild temps will soon give way to steadily increasing heat. If this summer is like any other, we can expect some days of extreme heat, with several days reaching above 1000.
If this summer is typical of south Texas summers, air conditioning will be essential for comfort and health.
Before the temperature rises too high, here are some AC maintenance and preparation tips to increase the likelihood of your summer remaining comfortable and healthy.
1. Know the age of your air conditioner system. The vast amount of information reveals that the average useful life of an air conditioner system ranges between 15 and 20 years. Regular AC maintenance helps to extend this usefulness, but the system will eventually fail. Research the age of your system components to determine its age. Use wisdom and do not wait for a sudden failure and emergency replacement.
2. Make sure the condenser coils are clean and clear of debris. The outdoor air conditioner unit is the condenser unit. The walls of the condenser are composed of a long network of tubes and very thin fins. During a cooling cycle, the condenser contains hot refrigerant gas. It picks up the heat from the inside of the home; the tubes and fins are meant to transfer the heat outdoors.
If fallen leaves have blown against the condenser or the grass has grown tall around the condenser, it will hinder airflow and the movement of heat. Take the covers of the condenser’s side and wash away the collection of dust, pollen, and lawn clippings attached to the coils. This will ensure the heat is released properly.
3. Change your air filter. Air conditioning requires the movement of huge amounts of air; the air handler is designed to move the entire home’s volume very quickly. All that air moves through a relatively small duct; an air filter cleans the air as it moves through the network. This is very good. The filter removes approximately 95 to 98 percent of the airborne particles.
Eventually, the particles completely coat the filter, and if allowed to get too thick, it will clog and hinder airflow. Airflow is required for efficient cooling, so make sure the filter gets changed regularly; the filter should be changed at least every three months.
You can find the air filter near the base of the air handler cabinet. Each system requires a specific-sized filter, and they can be found in home improvement, hardware, and most box stores.
4. Make sure all the vents and returns are uncovered. Each room will have at least one supply vent, and every level will have one or more return vents. It is not uncommon for daily activities to accidentally cover vents and restrict airflow. Take a walk through the home to ensure the furniture, furnishings, or drapes have not covered the vents.
5. Change the thermostat settings as needed. Change the batteries and schedule temperature settings to make your family comfortable. Scheduling changes is much more efficient and comfortable than bumping the temperature up and down when the family is hot or cold.
6. Schedule a preventative maintenance visit with the Doctor Cool AC maintenance professionals. This ensures that the system works efficiently and for as long as possible. A qualified AC maintenance professional can check the refrigerant level, the switches and sensors, and the system’s performance.
Your Guide to Spring AC Maintenance and Efficiency
Although these AC maintenance tips for preparing your air conditioning system for the upcoming hot Texas summer can be done by most homeowners, we strongly recommend that you consult with our technicians. Our professional AC maintenance professionals are experienced in understanding your system’s age, cleaning condenser coils, and regularly changing air filters to maintain efficiency.
As an award-winning, BBB-accredited AC Maintenance League City and HVAC installation contractor serving the League City and surrounding area, we pride ourselves in providing exceptional service to our customers. Call Doctor Cool & Professor Heat today at 281-338-8751 or email Doctor Cool.
