As the聽crisp聽chill of autumn begins聽to flow through聽the air, you know winter聽will arrive soon. Now’s the time to聽set aside聽a few moments to聽prepare聽your聽air conditioner聽for the off-season. Shutting down your AC as summer聽drifts away聽guards聽it against聽harsh聽winter weather that could聽decrease聽its聽life. A few聽basic聽steps are all聽you'll need聽to prime your air conditioner for聽maximum聽efficiency come spring.
Deep Clean Your Air Conditioner
As the seasons change, your outdoor聽AC unit聽can be filled with debris like聽fallen leaves and pine cones. This is聽the ideal聽time to聽put on聽your work gloves,聽clear away聽this debris and gently聽flush out聽the outdoor condensing unit.聽Make sure聽the outside temperature is聽well聽above freezing before聽dousing聽the unit. Then,聽take out聽any聽tenacious聽leaves or twigs that remain聽jammed聽in the nooks and crannies and聽complete聽a final sweep around the unit. This helps聽stop聽winter winds from聽blowing聽debris back into or underneath your聽AC unit.
Maintain the AC Unit
If you聽skipped聽setting up聽regular聽air conditioning maintenance聽last spring, it’s still not too late! Arrange to have a聽professional聽technician conduct an聽AC tune-up聽before it聽gets聽too聽cold outside. This tune-up and inspection includes聽checking聽the refrigerant level and testing for leaks,聽looking over聽and tightening electrical connections, lubricating moving聽components聽and testing the system safety controls, among other tasks.聽Regular聽air conditioner maintenance聽improves聽efficiency, extends your unit’s life span and聽can find聽minor issues before they聽grow聽into expensive problems.
Disconnect Your Air Conditioner
When you’re聽confident聽you have used your聽cooling system聽for the last time聽during the summer,聽look for聽the condensing unit’s聽outside聽power switch.聽Open聽the protective聽covering, flip the switch off and聽make sure to push the lid down again. This聽simple聽procedure聽prevents聽you from accidentally聽turning on聽the air conditioner during the winter months.聽Running the AC聽when the condensing unit is covered with ice聽might聽cause聽irreparable聽damage.
Examine the Exterior Unit
Powering down聽yourair conditioning equipment聽after the cooling season聽involves聽more than just flicking off a switch. It’s also聽a good time聽to聽scrutinize聽the outdoor unit’s condition.聽Watch out for聽cracks,聽dings, rust or other聽exterior聽issues.聽Take an extra moment to check聽that all seals and insulation are secure and everything聽appears聽in order. If you聽identify聽a problem, call a聽certified specialist聽to service the air conditioner聽before the issue聽becomes an even bigger problem. This聽preventive聽move聽helps you聽reduce the chances of any聽unpleasant surprises when you聽power up聽your聽AC聽after its long winter hibernation.
Guard Your Air Conditioner Against Falling Ice
While some homeowners聽cover聽their outdoor air conditioning units with a tarp or a commercially available AC cover, this聽tactic聽often聽causes聽more problems than it solves. Moisture can condense on the unit through the plastic,聽preventing聽evaporation and聽promoting聽rust or mold聽proliferation.聽Mice聽might even view your covered AC unit as聽a cozy聽winter den, and also聽chew聽through聽crucial聽wiring and聽provide you with聽an unwelcome repair bill in the spring.
While a tarp probably isn't ideal,聽protecting聽your AC from falling icicles is still聽critical聽to preventing internal damage. The best compromise is to聽cover聽the top of the air conditioner with聽a piece of plywood聽weighed down with聽bricks聽or large rock to聽make sure聽the wind doesn’t聽blow it away. Leaving the聽air conditioning聽unit’s sides聽subjected聽to the winter聽elements聽should not cause any聽problems.
Routinely Inspect the Unit
Once your聽air conditioner聽is聽correctly聽winterized, you can’t simply聽forget about聽your AC聽until you need it next spring. To聽make sure聽it stays in good shape,聽take a peek聽at your AC about聽a few times each month. Adjust the plywood if聽necessary聽and聽remove聽any leaves or pine needles聽embedded聽in the condensing unit.聽Routine聽winter care helps聽avoid聽any nasty聽scenarios聽come spring.
Schedule Air Conditioning Service Today in the U.S
Preparing your聽air conditioner聽for聽icy and snowy weather聽may not be the most聽thrilling聽task, but the benefits are聽considerable. Not only does it聽help you avoid聽pricey聽repairs and delays when you聽are looking to enjoy the聽air conditioning next spring, but it also聽promotes聽your unit’s efficiency and聽durability.
For聽reliable,聽expert聽assistance with the air conditioning tasks outlined above,聽turn to聽天美传媒. Our team provides聽top-notch聽service to help our customers聽avoid聽HVAC聽issues聽all聽year-round. With 天美传媒 by your side, you’ll enjoy the聽satisfaction聽of聽understanding聽your home comfort is in聽professional聽hands. To schedule an AC repair or maintenance visit, reach out to 天美传媒 today by calling (866) 963-7996.聽Keep in mind, taking care of your聽air conditioner聽today聽is the best way to enjoy聽a cooler, more comfortable tomorrow!
