You can breathe a sigh of relief. The final heat wave of summer is finally waning, and your air conditioner survived another grueling summer of keeping your family cool and comfortable. It’s just about time to give your AC a break, crack open your windows, and leave cool air to the autumn breeze, but before you do, there are a few maintenance tasks you should take care of to be sure your air conditioner weathers the winter and is ready to go for next summer.
Swap out your air filters.
Ideally you should be changing your air filter on a regular basis, whenever it gets dirty. This usually means about once a month, especially during the summer when your system is running almost constantly and filters get dirty the fastest. If your air filters are only used by your cooling system, you’ll be prepared for next summer. However, some systems utilize air filters for both heating and cooling. In that case, you’re all set to turn on your furnace, but you’ll want to remember that your filter will need to be swapped out again soon!
Wipe down your air handler.
Your air handler is that large metal box in your basement. It’s an essential component of your cooling system, used to regulate and circulate air. After a long season of circulating cool air throughout your home to keep air temperatures consistent and cool, the coils and fins accumulate dirt. Simply open the access panel and wipe down the coils inside.
Clear debris from the condenser unit.
Your outdoor condenser unit is also a critical component of your cooling system and it’s likely that debris has collected around it throughout the season from mowing, storms, and other summer activities. Remove any debris, cut back shrubs or weeds that have become overgrown around it, and spray it down with a hose to clean it off. You want to give your unit the breathing space to receive sufficient air circulation.
Check the condensate pan.
As part of filtering and cooling the air, your AC removes moisture from the air, which is collected in the condensate pan before being drained out of your home by the drain line. At the end of the season, you should check the condensate pan to ensure that the drain line is clear. If you do discover an obstruction in your drain line, you may feel more comfortable hiring a professional to come out and clear it for you.
In addition to these routine maintenance steps that you can handle yourself, it wouldn’t hurt to schedule a post-season inspection by a cooling expert. A professional cooling expert can verify that your air conditioner is in good shape so you won’t have anything to worry about in the spring. Contact Bonfe today.