Air Conditioners Perform Best with Proper Spring Maintenance

You’ll obtain a variety of benefits if you take some simple steps to prepare your air conditioning system for the long cooling season. An effective combination of do-it-yourself and professional maintenance will ensure your air conditioner or heat pump is ready for its heavy workload this spring, summer and fall.

Simple AC Tasks You can do Yourself

Remove wraps

• Remove any cover or wrap that was used to protect your split-system AC’s outdoor unit over the winter. If you haven’t been covering the outside unit during the off-season, consider doing so. Of course, if your home uses a heat pump for both cooling and heating, never cover the outside unit.

Check air filters

• Check the air filter for the AC’s air handler or furnace blower, and replace it with a fresh filter if the old one is clogged with dust and debris. A clogged air filter will restrict essential airflow in your forced-air cooling system, potentially damaging the equipment and resulting in ineffective and inconsistent cooling in your home.

When a filter is dirty, some of those dust and dirt particles will end up coating sensitive equipment components. That creates friction between moving parts and more work for your equipment. Develop a routine where you check the filter monthly.

Remove debris

• Remove dead leaves, sticks and other yard debris, as well as any other obstacles, from around the air conditioner or heat pump’s outside unit. Unimpeded airflow is essential for effective and efficient cooling.

Check vents and registers

• For the same reason (airflow), check vents and registers in your home and make sure there’s nothing blocking them. Common objects that block cooling and heating registers are rugs, drapes, boxes, furniture, toys, etc. Check this periodically, since in an active household, objects seem to find their way in front of or on top of vents on a pretty regular basis.

Seal air leaks

• Look for air leaks in your home’s outer perimeter, and seal them with weatherstripping (doors and windows, usually), caulk or spray foam, depending on the size, type and location of the air leaks.

Your HVAC contractor can advise you on which sealing medium to use for your particular issues. The sealant container usually will have detailed instructions on how to apply the substance. The bonus to sealing air leaks is that this also will reduce the intrusion of insects, snakes (!) and other small animals.

Tasks an HVAC Pro should Complete

Clean inside and outside AC coils

• If necessary, the cooling and heating technician will clean both the inside and outside coils of your split-system AC or heat pump. Over time, the evaporator (inside) and condensing (outside) coils will accumulate dirt, grime, mold and/or bacteria. In addition to being a threat to indoor air quality, a dirty AC coil will struggle to accomplish its essential task of heat exchange.

Unless you know what you’re doing, leave this job to a professional. It’s not unheard of for a well-meaning resident’s repair effort to result in a broken AC.

Clean and lube moving parts in the air handler

• Clean and lubricate moving parts in the air handler/blower and other mechanical components of your cooling equipment. As stated, dirty parts experience more friction, forcing the AC to work harder than necessary, using more energy to cool your home.

Clean and tighten dirty and/or loose electrical connections.

Check refrigerant levels

• Check refrigerant levels and add more refrigerant if necessary. If refrigerant is low, the technician likely will check for any leaks, since refrigerant doesn’t “get used up” as it’s performing its function. Leaking refrigerant can be a health and safety hazard.

Inspect airflow

• Inspect airflow in the cooling system and adjust if necessary. Poor airflow may force your cooling system to work harder than necessary to satisfy the thermostat setting and may provide unbalanced air conditioning in various rooms in your home.

Check and recalibrate the thermostat

• Check the thermostat(s) for proper operation and/or calibration. If you have an old-style manual thermostat, the technician can give you recommendations on what sort of programmable model might work well in your home, and then install it for you.

Other tasks

• Some maintenance tune-ups involve more work than others. If you haven’t already, consider joining a maintenance service club with your preferred Cincinnati HVAC contractor.

Regular professional maintenance also provides a perennial assessment of your HVAC system, so your trained professional can alert you when it’s time to consider a new HVAC installation, and help you with a more efficient and effective upgrade.