We’re in the off-season when it comes to air conditioning, and while the weather rarely gets cold here in Lousiana, it’s as mild in January as it will be all year. That makes now an excellent time to get your air conditioner checked and make any adjustments you need to before you must use it again. Warm weather seems to arrive earlier every year, but if you’ve made the proper preparations, you can make sure that your air conditioner is ready to handle anything.
Start with Do-It-Yourself Steps
A good start to keeping your air conditioner prepared is to perform some very basic upkeep. Make sure the outdoor portion of the unit is kept clear of debris and pull any weeds that form near it, as well as clearing off the leaves. You should also change the filter in the system if you haven’t done so. Filters collect dust and hair from the air as it cycles through the system, but they can reduce air flow and cause similar problems if they get too clogged. You can change them out yourself and replacement filters are available at any hardware store or home improvement center. Ideally, you should do so every 1-3 months.
Depending on the nature of your home, you might want to help improve household energy efficiency by adding weather stripping for cracks under doors and windows, and the like.
Schedule a Servicing Session
While do-it-yourself steps can do wonders for your air conditioner’s efficiency, but if you really want to get your system ready for summer, you should schedule a servicing session before cooling season begins. Ideally, you should do so at least once or twice a year, If you haven’t done so in the last 12 months, give us a call immediately.
A servicing session resembles a tune-up for your car: the technician gives the system a long, hard look in search of any signs of trouble. That can include little things like loose screws and frayed wire connections, which don’t mean much now, but could cause serious problems in the future. It can also include more pressing problems that require a formal repair session to solve. In those cases, the technician can schedule such a session immediately, at a time that is most convenient to you.
Servicing can result in three different benefits:
- Lower monthly bills. Correcting those little problems can help improve the air conditioner’s efficiency, which means it won’t cost as much in monthly fees to run.
- Easier repairs. In the event repairs are needed, servicing lets you get ahead of them and schedule them at a time of your choosing, instead of having to rush around in the face of an emergency.
- Longer lifespan. When applied regularly over time, servicing sessions help reduce the frequency and expense of repairs later in the system’s life. They can also extend its lifespan by months or even years in some cases.
If you haven’t scheduled a servicing session for the air conditioner in your Covington, LA home in the last 12 months, call on Professional Heating & Air today to set one up!