BUT, before you do, it’s important to ensure that your AC is working efficiently to save you from increased energy bills, potential repairs and an uncomfortable home.
To thoroughly prepare your AC for summer, you should:
- Schedule a maintenance visit with a licensed professional
- Change your air filter
- Clean your outdoor unit
- Open your air vents
Below, we’ll take a closer look at each of these tips so that you can ensure your AC is prepared to handle the hot months ahead.
Want to have a licensed and insured technician complete maintenance on your AC for the summer? Learn More
Tip #1: Schedule a maintenance visit
The best way to ensure your AC is prepared for summer is to schedule a maintenance visit with a professional.
If you have a central AC system, this is likely the first time your system will be turned on in quite a few months, and if you have a heat pump, your system has probably been running all year long.
Either way, a professional technician should check that all system parts are intact and working correctly, so you don’t end up with an AC breakdown in the dead of summer.
During a maintenance visit, a pro will generally look at things like:
- Thermostat operation
- Wiring and fuses
- Electrical connections
- Contractors, relays and pressure controls
- Safety circuits
- Dirt buildup on parts
- Condensate drain
- And more
Tip #2: Change your air filter
It’s important to keep your air filter clean all year round. But especially during the summer when your AC is frequently running, you should check and replace your air filter every 1-3 months.
Your AC cools your home by pulling in warm air from your house, cooling that air, and circulating the cool air throughout your home. If your air filter is dirty and blocked by dust and/or debris, your AC will struggle to pull in enough air to cool your home.
Not enough air entering your AC system results in uneven temperatures, higher energy bills and increased wear and tear on your AC system.
Tip #3: Clean your outdoor unit
As we mentioned above, your AC cools your home by pulling in warm air, cooling that air, and circulating the cooled air throughout your home. But, how exactly does your AC cool your home’s air? Your AC actually strips your home’s air of heat and humidity and dumps that heat outside via your outdoor AC unit.
If that outdoor unit is dirty and covered in debris, your AC won’t be able to easily transfer the heat to the outside, which can result in warmer indoor air, increased energy bills and greater wear and tear on your system.
So, before the summer season begins, it’s important to clean your outdoor AC unit by:
- Trimming or removing any bushes or trees that are within a 3-foot radius of your outdoor AC unit
- Removing any visible debris from the outside of your unit
- Gently hosing down the fins of your outdoor unit with a hose on a LOW setting. The fins of your outdoor AC unit are fragile and can be damaged if you turn the hose on too high.
Tip #4: Open your air vents
Before you turn your AC on for the summer, it’s important to ensure that all of your air vents are open and unobstructed.
Your air conditioner works most efficiently when air can circulate freely throughout your home. With closed or blocked vents, your AC may struggle to circulate air properly, which can affect its efficiency and raise your energy bills.
Have a professional prep your AC for summer: Contact Reliable Air!
As we mentioned above, the best way to ensure your AC is working efficiently and safely in time for summer is to schedule maintenance with a professional. At Reliable Air, we’ve been providing Texas homeowners with reliable AC service for over 25 years and work diligently every summer to ensure that our customer’s systems are primed to keep them cool all summer long. Schedule Today
