TIPS FOR SUMMER READY HVAC
Now that summer is heating up, you’ll want to begin your seasonal preparations for your HVAC if you haven’t already. Specifically, you’ll want to get your air conditioner – whether it’s a central, portable, or window A/C unit – ready with our useful tips for summer ready HVAC.
The following tips will not only keep you from overheating this summer, but they’ll also keep your bank account from overheating from high energy bills.
It’s important to make sure that your air conditioner will be up to the task when you need to crank it up to full blast on those sweltering summer days. Schedule an annual tune-up for your air conditioner and have a professional perform preventative maintenance, check the refrigerant levels, and take care of any mechanical problems your unit might have. Even if your air conditioner seems to be in perfect working order, it might have small problems that can lead to large utility bills, not to mention even larger repair bills should those small problems turn into big ones.
Replace the air filter
At the start of the cooling season, check the air filter in the furnace and replace it if it’s dirty. Then check it every month that you run the air conditioner (and the furnace, for that matter) and if it is dirty replace it with a new filter. A dirty air filter blocks airflow, making your HVAC system work harder.
Clean the condenser coils
Cleaning the condenser coils makes it easier for the air conditioner to remove heat from the air, which also helps the condenser use less energy. Ideally, taking care of this job before the air-conditioning season starts.
First, turn off the AC inside the thermostat. Then shut off the condenser—look for a metal box attached to the outside of the house near the AC’s condenser unit and switch it to the off position. Some models have a block to remove instead of a switch. Then remove dried leaves, overgrown vegetation, and other clutter on and near the condenser unit.
Next, use a garden hose without a spray attachment to gently rinse the condenser coils with water. Avoid the electrical connections on the back. Flush the space between the coils too. Keep the water pressure low, or you could bend the fins. Turn the condenser on. Allow ample time for the coils to dry before turning on the AC inside the thermostat completely.
Check the insulation on the freon line
A freon line connects the evaporator on the air handler to the condenser outside. If the foam insulation that covers the line is torn, contact AC Dave Heating & Air to replace the insulation.
Shut off the furnace humidifier
If your furnace is equipped with a humidifier, turn off the humidifier. Your air conditioner helps keep you cool by removing humidity from your house—so you don’t want the humidifier attached to your furnace to be pumping moisture into the air If your humidifier doesn’t have an on/off switch, move the damper door lever to the Cool position, which reroutes the cool air, so it doesn’t go through it.
You don’t want the first time you use the unit to be when it’s already sweltering hot outside. While the weather is still somewhat cool, do a few test runs with your unit. That way, you’ll be able to diagnose any issues before you really need the extra cooling power.
If you’re not comfortable doing any of the above steps or something not working, right? Need help getting your AC ready for warm weather? Keep your cool and let our experts handle it, call AC Dave Heating & Air at 661-270-1961 to schedule your appointment today.
