There’s nothing more satisfying than walking into a cool and comfortable home after spending a summer day outdoors — which means you need an air conditioner that you can count on. In today’s post, OK Heating and Air Conditioning shares tips on how to prepare your AC for the summer season.
Schedule HVAC Maintenance
Annual AC maintenance helps ensure peak efficiency and prevent unexpected breakdowns. During a maintenance appointment, an HVAC professional will thoroughly inspect the entire air conditioning system, including the ductwork and air handler, as well as perform a tune-up. This helps make sure that the air conditioner is all set to handle the higher workload that’s typical of the season.
Change or Clean the Air Filters
HVAC professionals like us recommend inspecting your air filters and replacing them (or cleaning them, if you have a ductless AC) every one to three months. This helps ensure unobstructed airflow and maintain indoor air quality; your AC won’t have to work as hard to cool your home. The air filters in central air conditioning systems are user-replaceable and do not require the assistance of an HVAC professional.
Keep the Outdoor Unit Clean
The outdoor unit houses the condenser coils that vent the heat gathered by the indoor unit, which means it requires airflow in and around the unit. Keep it clean by removing leaves, dirt and debris, and by trimming plants that may obstruct airflow. Dirt and dust on the cooling fins must be cleaned by a professional, as these components are delicate and can get easily damaged by the wrong cleaning tools.
Inspect and Seal the Ductwork
A leaky ductwork can reduce the amount of cooled air that reaches the rooms in your home, which may increase the workload on your air conditioner. Make it a point to have the air ducts inspected and cleaned, along with the vents and registers. Resealing the air ducts is ideally done every five years — if you haven’t had yours cleaned and sealed in the past five years, it’s best to do it soon.
Test the Thermostat
A significant number of HVAC service calls are due to a malfunctioning thermostat, which also happens to have the easiest fix. Sometimes a thermostat falls out of sync with its parent unit, and it’s a good practice to test it before running the AC for the season. Follow the troubleshooting steps as described in the user guide, which may involve performing a factory reset and replacing the thermostats batteries.
Call Us for Your HVAC Needs
Our technicians at OK Heating and Air Conditioning can help ensure reliability for your heater and air conditioner. Give us a call at (925) 371-2665, or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment.