What can we say except that it’s spring in Saskatchewan. Twenty degrees above one day, and a snowstorm the next. I guess that’s what we get for living in the best little province on the prairies. I just booked my camp sites for the year today though so despite the cool current cool breeze blowing, I’m feeling vibes of summer vacation. I know it’s (eventually) going to warm up and when it does, I’ll be ready.
One of the first things I need to do is inspect and perform general maintenance on my AC. Bruce Springsteen once sang that “on the second day, God created air conditioners.” And there are some stark summer days that Bruce’s statement rings gospel. Is there a better feeling than walking in the front door and feeling that sudden temperature change after the heat has been beating down on you all day? Those memories can be all washed away though if your AC’s maintenance needs have been forgotten.
We’re still a little bit away from actually turning on our central air systems and letting them crank full bore, we generally recommend that the outside temperature be at least 18 Celsius (65 Fahrenheit) for an AC to work properly. In the meantime let’s go though the check list now so we can start off on the right foot.
1.) Remove The Cover
While placing a tarp or manufactured cover over your outdoor condenser is not mandatory we always advise that any condenser protection is better than none. Often though our condenser sits in the side of the yard we rarely visit and it can be easy to forget that last fall we cover the unit. Without removing the cover, the condenser is going to fail to be able to intake and dispel airflow properly and shut itself down. Allowing this to happen too much, especially to an older unit could cause your outdoor condenser to meet a tragic ending.
2.) Clean, clean, clean
Now in full view, take a look at the condenser and make a visual evaluation. Try to remove any excess debris like vegetation from around the condenser. Allowing weeds to grow within the vicinity allow debris to be sucked into the condenser reducing its efficiency and increasing your electricity bill while decreasing your home comfort.
Let’s also give it a quick wash as well. Using a garden hose spray out the condenser to remove any debris that has built up on the coils. Remember to spray from the inside out. This can be accomplished by aiming the hose in from the top and angled to the sides.
3.) Change your filter
I’ll make a bet with everyone right now that by the end of the summer I’ll have a list as long as my arm of homeowner’s who called us out because their air conditioner was not working only to find the reason was a dirty furnace filter. The start of cooling season is one of the best times to get yourself back on schedule with changing filters. Start the season fresh and don’t worry about replacing the next one until it’s time to shut the AC down for the season.
A clogged furnace filter will greatly reduce you home’s air flow.
Simply stated, no air flow means no cool air.
Once you finally have the air conditioner running feel free to give Family Plumbing & Heating a call to have a full head-to-toe maintenance done on your system. Or if you find that your air conditioner either takes an extended amount of time to cool the home, or simply does not run we can help with that as well.
Stay Cool,
Brenden
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