Air Conditioner Maintenance Tips to Prepare Summer
Homeowner Air Conditioner Maintenance Tips to Prepare Your HVAC for Summer
Texas summertime heat can be so oppressive—high temperatures and high humidity make quite an oppressive combination. If you are like most families, air conditioning is an essential reprieve to come home to.
Before the summer heat arrives, it may be best to give your AC some tender loving care. A little maintenance can keep your air conditioner running strong all summer long. While you might not know your system well, we do! Below you will find a few important maintenance tips that you can implement.
Start with a Clean Air Filter
AC system depends on air movement. Warm air moves across evaporator coils filled with cold refrigerant gas. The warm air gives up heat and moisture to the coils, and the cool air circulates throughout the house.
A dirty, clogged air filter restricts airflow. The moisture will not have a chance to drop off the coils and can freeze. Restricted airflow also puts stress on the blower motor, causing it to work hard to move air.
How long has it been since you changed your filter? It needs to be changed at least every three months. Change your filter at the beginning of the summer and again at the end of summer. Your air conditioner will thank you.
Take a Look Around
The movements of living can lead to inadvertent steps that can hinder the efficiency of your air conditioner.
- Inspect each room for covered or closed supply registers. These are the vents you usually find on the floor. Find them all. It is not unusual for furniture or drapes to cover registers. This also restricts airflow, so make sure they are all open and uncovered.
- Your inspection should also include finding the return air vents. These are generally found on walls near the ceiling, perhaps two or more on each level. Make sure bookcases or other structures are not covering them.
- If a room is drafty and cold during the winter it will also be drafty and warm in the summer. Find the cause; weatherproof or insulate as needed to resolve the drafts.
- Make sure that any exposed ducts are sealed tight. Leaky ductwork makes your air conditioner work harder and still leaves you uncomfortable. Fix what you can see.
Clear the Condensation Drain
Earlier the evaporator coils were mentioned—the wonderful device that removes moisture from the air in the cooling process. Your AC unit will remove several gallons of water from the air each day. The water normally exhausts outside or to a floor drain.
Make sure to keep the drain line clean and free of blockage. If the line clogs, the water will have nowhere to go but to leak out of the cabinet and into the surrounding area. This can lead to water damage to floors, walls, and nearby furniture.
For best results, check your condensation lines annually and clean them as needed. A wet/dry shop vac can remove most clogs.
Schedule an Annual Air Conditioner Maintenance Tune-up
Some things homeowners can do to be proactive. Some things will need the expertise of an Air Conditioner Maintenance professional. An annual Air Conditioner Maintenance tune-up is recommended to keep your system operating efficiently and avoid costly repairs. The added benefit is—it makes a breakdown during the worst heatwave on record less likely.
A technician will clean inaccessible areas, test components for weakness, and check the refrigerant gas level. Schedule your tune-up now to prepare your AC system for the stress of a long summer.
We Can Help with Air Conditioner Maintenance
Let us help with your Air Conditioner Maintenance. Call Doctor Cool & Professor Heat today at 281-338-8751 or email Doctor Cool and let our professional Air Conditioner Maintenance technicians assist in keeping your HVAC system running at its best.
