Are you ready for the summer?

Now that winter is over and with summer quickly approaching, this also means higher temperatures.  As the weather continues to warm, make sure your air conditioning unit is ready for the summer heat. It’s important to have your air conditioning and heating system inspected and serviced by a licensed technician at least once a year. Regular maintenance insures that your system is running as efficiently as possible and also helps keep your utility bills as low as possible. Regular maintenance also helps extend the life of your AC/Heating system and help minimize costly repairs.

Here are a few helpful tips that will help improve your cooling system’s efficiency and help reduce the risk of costly breakdowns and repairs.

Change your air filter. Dirty air filters restrict airflow and reduce the heating system’s efficiency. Inspect your air filters once a month when the system is in use for heating or cooling. Clean or replace dirty air filters as necessary. The first step in inspecting your air filters is to locate and remove the metal panel covering the filter or filters. The cover panel should be located near the heating system’s blower. Next, slide out the filters. Clean or replace the filters with new filters of the same size. Slide the new filters into position according to the airflow directions on the filter. Finally, replace the cover panel. Regular inspection, cleaning and replacement of your furnace filters will reduce your heating bills and prolong the life of your heating unit. Dirty filters restrict airflow, causing your unit to work harder than necessary and decreasing its energy efficiency.

Clear the area around your air conditioner Do not allow snow, grass, clippings, vines, shrubs or other items to accumulate on or around the outdoor unit. Do not stack or store items on or around the unit. Maintain a minimum 12 inch clearance between the outdoor unit and snow banks and other obstructions. It is important to allow air to flow to the unit unrestricted. Make sure that no one steps on the copper tubing between the indoor and outdoor units. Do not place or hang items on the tubing either. The heat pump may malfunction if kinks or dents in the tubing causes refrigerant to leak or restricts refrigerant flow. Repairing or replacing the copper tubing can be expensive.

Check the drain line
Inspect your unit for clogged drain lines. Excess moisture is created by your air conditioner and drained outside your home.  While your system is running, look for water exiting the line.  You should be able to see some water, not too much, but enough to know it is draining properly. If you do not see any water at all, it could mean your line is clogged.  If this drain line becomes clogged, it could create a mess in your home and lead to fungus or mold growth.

Remember with proper maintenance your air Conditioning and heating system should last 10-15 years. Every year at this time, Definitive Air offers our spring start up special. With our 17 point inspection, we will come out and inspect your AC unit to make sure that it is running at its peak performance. Even if you’ve already been running your air conditioner this year, you should still perform these steps to make sure your unit will run efficiently for you all summer long.

 

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