The American Housing Survey and the United States Census Bureau disclosed that 72 million homes — or 65% — have central air conditioning units while the remaining 22% have either window or room units. If you are part of that 65%, you should know that getting your house ready for the winter months includes preparing your air conditioning unit, too.
This is important to do because you want to ensure its ability to work once the hot and humid weather comes around again. Don’t worry if you’re not sure how to prepare your air conditioning unit for the colder months. Keep reading below to learn what to do from the heating and air conditioning professionals.
Have Your Air Conditioning Unit Inspected
You should have a heating and air conditioning expert inspect your air conditioning unit before the season changes into winter. This allows you to know about any damage that should be repaired before the colder months. You don’t want to put off getting maintenance work on your unit done until the hot weather returns.
Damage that sits over time can become worse and more expensive to fix. It is best to know about an issue before you stop using it for a few months. You don’t want to turn it on a day that you need it this spring and find that it doesn’t work, which would then entail obtaining emergency air conditioning repair.
Clean the Unit Before Winter
The most important step in cleaning your air conditioning unit is to make sure it is turned off before starting. Cleaning your unit prepares it for its offseason so dirt and any other debris do not build up further. When spring rolls around, you want to be able to use the air conditioning immediately instead of having to clean it first.
After cleaning the inside of the unit, you should pay close attention to the air filters and air vents. Air vents can be vacuumed out to be cleaned, but if there is a build-up of dust, you should use a wet cloth to wipe it out. Make sure you don’t put the unit back together before it is dried because you don’t want rust to form.
Changing the air filters is important even though you won’t be running the unit during the winter. Having the correct new air filters chosen by a heating and air conditioning professional, as well as clean vents, improves the indoor air quality of your home. Air is able to flow through your vents even though the air conditioning is not running.
Cover the Unit During the Cold Months
Covering your outdoor air conditioning unit is a way to protect it from any damage throughout the colder months. Covers for your unit are available, and you want the cover to be the correct dimensions to properly work. This step ensures your unit will be protected from the winter elements.
Covering the unit is not difficult to do even though it is such an important step. Using a cover on your air conditioning unit helps prevent any damage that could affect running it in the spring. If there is a day in the winter that is warmer than normal, the cover is easy to take off and put back on.
Check the Unit Throughout the Winter
Don’t let your hard work go to waste by not checking your unit out throughout the winter. Your cover may have been moved off to expose the unit, which can cause damage. You also might be able to notice damage early on that can be repaired by a heating and air conditioning expert before it gets worse.
Winterizing your air conditioning unit should be on the top of your to-do list. Follow these steps from heating and air conditioning professionals so your spring won’t start without a way to cool down.
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