Even when the weather begins to cool off, your home’s AC is still going to require a little bit of work. Carrying out a few simple maintenance tasks at the end of the summer will reduce your risk of a catastrophic breakdown when the weather begins to warm up next spring.
Swap Out Your Air Filter
To determine how often you should replace your air filters, you will need to take a few different variables into consideration. That includes the airborne contaminants and allergens that are in your area, how often the HVAC system is used, and if you own any pets. In the average home, a high-quality air filter will only need to be replaced once every 90 days. If you have allergies or the air is particularly bad, then you might need to change them once every 50 to 60 days.
Clean the Coils and Condensate Line
After a scorching summer, your coils and condensate line could be caked with debris. Luckily, cleaning those components is relatively easy, and this project only requires a few basic supplies. For coils and condensate lines that aren’t particularly dirty, a garden hose can be used to rinse away the dust. When those parts are extremely grimy, you might need to carefully wipe them down with some warm water and a very mild detergent.
Clear Away Debris From Around the Condenser
Your condenser is going to draw in air whenever the HVAC system is being used, and that is why the area around the unit must be regularly cleared away. As a general rule, you want to ensure that there is absolutely no debris within three or four feet of the condenser. That includes items like tree branches, bushes, outdoor toys, and gardening tools.
Schedule a Maintenance Call
Well before your furnace or heater is used for the first time, it needs to be serviced by an HVAC technician. During that service call, the HVAC technician can also take a look at the air conditioning system to ensure that it is clean and damage-free. Those service calls are relatively inexpensive in most areas, and they often only take 30 or 45 minutes to complete.
Carrying out these few steps could save you quite a bit of money on your monthly energy bills when it comes time to turn your AC back on next spring. They will also reduce your risk of unnecessary HVAC damage that requires expensive and time-consuming repairs.