Months of cold weather are getting nearer, still, there’s enough time to prepare and ensure your heating system is operational. Many people rely on their AC unit as the main source of heating and whether you’ve been using it during the summer or not, you need to perform thorough maintenance to ensure it doesn’t fail on a particularly cold day.
I wanted to know more about how I should take care of my AC so I talked to the Chandler air conditioning professionals at Hughes Air and Co, and learned a few tricks I can do myself before asking for professional assistance.
Make Sure the Power Is Off
This is the first step before you start any sort of maintenance. It is crucial to remember to completely shut down the electricity flow to the AC so that you can safely operate. This is something that you would do in any scenario when you mess with electricity, but it is important to be reminded, just in case.
Clean or Replace Filters
Filters in an AC are important for a number of reasons, and you should remember to check them regularly to see if they are clogged with dirt. It’s normal for filters to get dirty since they are the only line of defense that stands between the AC’s blowout space and the interior.
If filters are not replaced or cleaned then there’s the risk that the AC is going to need more power to achieve certain temperature thresholds also causing it to work more intensely. Also, there’s the risk to health because it’s blowing out dirty and contaminated air directly into the room. It is recommended to check on them at least twice a year and especially before the start of a season.
Outdoor Unit
The unit the rests outside your home also needs some love. It was designed to sustain a range of elements, but it still needs to be checked and cleaned every now and then. Autumn is the time of year when there’s a lot of leaves lying around, and if you add wind and rain, these could easily mess up with your AC.
You can use a water hose to quickly remove debris or leaves, and after that make you sure give the unit some breathing space by cleaning up a bit around it. Units hanging on the wall are more protected, but you can still check the inside to see if there’s anything that could block the fans.
Thermostat
This is the perfect time to check if your thermostat is working properly. Summers usually put a lot of workload on your AC and sometimes things can break but still allow the AC to function. The thermostat might show the wrong temperature which can reflect negatively on your monthly bill, or you’d think you’ve adjusted the right temperature only to realize the room is still cold.
The first thought on your mind would be that the entire AC is broken, but it might be as simple as a thermostat. This is also a good opportunity to update to a smart thermostat which allows you to program different temperatures for different times of the day and allow you full control over your heating remotely.
Schedule Maintenance
If you don’t feel confident enough to do the maintenance on your own, or you want a thorough checkup then you should schedule a visit from a pro. Not only will you be getting proper maintenance, but also valuable advice on how to best use the AC in order to squeeze the most out of it and still maintain a steady monthly bill, but also modern upgrades to improve the overall performance.
