How You Can Keep Your Air Conditioning Unit Maintained During Winter

Posted on: 8 November 2018

The cooler temperatures mean that it's time to shut off your air conditioner for the season. It won't be turned on again until spring or summer, and you might wonder how to keep it in good working order until you need it again. You can do a few simple air conditioning maintenance tasks to keep the unit in good condition and help it last for years to come.

Change Filters Before The Snow Comes

It is a good idea to change out your filters in the air conditioning unit at least once every few months; this should include during the fall and winter months. Even if you aren't using the AC unit, air still can flow through it into your home, bringing dirt, dust, and allergens into the house. If you change out your filter before the snow comes, you can help keep the air within your home clean and fresh.

Changing out your filter frequently, even when it's not running, also helps your AC run more efficiently in the summer. This can lower your electrical bills and even help to keep your heating bills low during the winter months -- if your furnace has an air filter or purifier installed, it won't have to work as hard to keep the air clean.

Clean The Unit

You can keep your AC unit working well in the summer by cleaning it before covering it for the winter. Take your garden hose and clean away loose leaves, bugs, dirt, as well as any other debris that can collect on or around the unit.

It's also a good idea to clean the AC unit's coils and coil fins to keep the airflow moving properly through the unit. When the coils or coil fins get clogged with dirt and debris, it can block much-needed air that helps the unit absorb heat and convert it into cooler air.

You should check your coils and coil fins as well as the condenser on a regular basis.

Clean The Area Around The Unit

When you have a condenser that is outside your home, you need to keep the area around it clean of debris. In the fall, and especially if your yard has a lot of trees, leaves will fall and collect around it. You need to clear away those leaves, fallen branches, and any other dirt and debris.

If your surrounding trees have any overhanging or weak branches, it is a good idea to trim those away to prevent any high winds from causing them to fall on the unit. It will also help airflow to circulate around the unit. Additionally, trimming back the branches will help to prevent any ice from falling onto the unit and potentially damaging it.

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Summer is Upon Us – Is Your AC Working?

Hi. My name is Laurie Waters. The HVAC contractor was just out at our house last week and did I ever get a lesson from him. You see, we had a warm spell hit and I went to turn our air conditioning on for the first time since last summer. Much to my dismay, it wasn’t working. All I got was a blast of warm air. The fan was bringing the outdoor heat inside. Thank goodness it wasn’t anything major. My unit needed Freon. While he was here, the contractor taught me how to do some routine maintenance around my unit, vents, and filters. I’m going to share this information with you. I hope you find it to be useful.

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