Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Keeping you Cool this Summer should be a Breeze

Get your AC ready before Summer


Fall and winter maintenance tasks will help protect your home from the cold weather elements while saving you money on heating costs, but there are maintenance projects you should also complete in the spring or early summer. The thought of a scorching hot, humid summer without working air conditioning is a nightmare scenario for some people, and a reality for many others. Follow these instructions to ensure your air conditioner will be running smoothly by the time those humid summer days hit:

AC Ready

Shut off the power
Safety first! Before performing maintenance on your air conditioner, you’ll need to shut the power completely off to avoid the dangers of electricity and the unit’s moving parts. Turn off the power at your main breaker box, and look for an exterior shut-off box near the unit itself.

Remove debris
Using a screwdriver or wrench, remove the fan cage on the exterior condenser/compressor from the top of the unit. By hand, or with a wet/dry vacuum, clean leaves and other debris from the interior.

Clean the fins
Using a garden hose with a strong stream setting, spray through the fins from the inside out to blast any built up dirt or debris from between them. Never use a pressure washer, since the pressure can damage the fins.

Straighten the fins
Carefully straighten any bent fins using a butter knife or commercially available fin-straightening tool. Be gentle so that the tubing embedded within the fins is not damaged. Straight fins means increased efficiency due to optimal airflow.

Clean around the unit
Once you’ve finished cleaning the unit itself from the inside out, tidy up around the unit. Rake away leaves and debris and cut back any vegetation at least two feet in all directions

Change the filter. The filter in your HVAC system should be changed twice a year - once before the heating season begins and another before cooling season.



Schedule maintenance
While the above steps will help your AC stay in top shape, some maintenance items should only be performed by a trained HVAC technician. Ideally, this maintenance should be done by a professional once a year, either in the spring or fall.

Routine, professional maintenance does cost money up front, but will save you in the long run from having to fix bigger issues that may arise. Let Wheeler’s Heating & Air Conditioning perform maintenance or repair on your AC unit, or even replace your old unit for a more efficient system that can save you money each month. We provide top AC repair in Ozark at more affordable rates than our competitors. Contact us today! Call 414-839-9240 or visit us at http://www.wheelerheatingandair.com/.