In our last post, we talked about the importance of signing up for our maintenance club to receive routine spring maintenance on your air conditioner. Most AC prep steps for the coming summer need to be left to the professional HVAC experts. But not all of them. You can help get your air conditioner and your house ready for when the air conditioner comes back on strong for the season.
Because we live in a warm climate, air conditioning preparation is a bit different. You probably only used the ductwork of your home occasionally over the winter on the few coldest days. Otherwise, most of the HVAC system goes unused. This can mean a decline and increase of dust buildup during the winter and a rough start for the AC in the summer. These steps can make a big difference.
ONE: Schedule maintenance if you haven’t done so
Another reminder, but air conditioning maintenance in Fontana, CA is critical every year. It’s easy to set it up and have it done annually—call our office and sign up for the Cool Club. Take care of it now and you can check off the most important item on your spring “to-do” list.
TWO: Clean the vent registers
The vent registers (i.e. vent covers) don’t receive much attention during the year, and that often leads to them getting dusty or even covered up with moving furniture. Take a tour of all the rooms and check on the vents. Make certain nothing is blocking them. For each vent, take a wet rag and wipe away excess dust and lint that might have collected over them. This allows the HVAC system to work easier and doesn’t add more dust to the house.
THREE: Look around the outdoor unit
The outside cabinet of your split air conditioning system is the condenser. It houses the compressor, a fan, and the condenser coil. It needs to be clear on all sides as well as clean. Look for animal nests, debris, branches growing too close, or anything else that may restrict the operation of the cabinet to exhaust heat to the outdoors. If the cabinet is grimy, wash it off with a hose on low pressure. (Blasting water into the cabinet may bend the coils.)
FOUR: Filter check
Routine air filter changes help the HVAC system—whether heating or cooling—work optimally and prevent contamination from getting inside the cabinet. If the filter is so thickly clogged you can’t see through it when you hold it up to the light, put a new one in. You must keep up the schedule of putting in a new filter throughout the summer, every 1 to 3 months.
FIVE: Do a short test for thermostat responsiveness and warning signs
Turn the AC on and adjust the thermostat to a comfortable temperature below the current one. (This may mean setting in lower than normal, but it’s fine for the purposes of this test.) Listen to the system to see if the compressor kicks on when it should. Check the rooms for proper cooling levels. Listen for any odd noises from the vents. See how long the compressor runs before shutting off. It should be 15 minutes or more. If anything seems unusual, notify your technician during maintenance.
Like our shoe covers, our customers are the coolest! Call A-Avis Home Services Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. for your HVAC needs!