Aren’t the March and April months in the greater Phoenix area just about perfect? Temperatures are in the mid 70s and 80s, and homeowners around the state are taking advantage of all the Copper State has to offer outside before the summer brings temperatures consistently above 100 degrees and homeowners retreat back indoors for relief from the heat.
But trust us, you’ll want to act now to make sure that your central air conditioning is in prime condition to deliver cool comfortable air over the summer. And actually, it’s not that hard to take care of some very simple spring maintenance tasks that will go a long way towards avoiding costly AC repair and keeping your system running efficiently.
1. Check Your Air Filters
Your AC unit’s air filters keep air particles like dust, dirt, and allergens from circulating through the ductwork in your home. But the filters need to be inspected and changed regularly—not only can dirty filters create health issues and indoor air quality problems in your home, but they’ll affect the performance of your AC as well. Dirty filters slow down air flow through your system, causing your unit to overwork, leading to more wear and tear and increasing the chance of breakdowns and repair calls.
2. Open All Your Vents
It’s possible that you may have closed the ductwork vents in your home during the cooler months to prevent excess dirt and dust from getting into your ductwork system. Well, before your AC starts becoming a necessity in your home for the summer, make sure you go around the house and open them all back up!
Your central AC system’s efficiency relies on a comprehensive balancing act of air pressure. Closing off vents in your home might seem like you’re pushing more air to certain rooms due to a hot room, or seem like you’re saving money by not cooling certain parts of your home, but it will actually require extra effort from your system, shortening its lifespan and likely increasing the frequency of repair calls.Â
3. Clear Debris
Over the course of the year, there are lots of opportunities for the outdoor condenser portion of your AC unit to get dirty and partially blocked by leaves, branches, and overgrown grass or weeds. This can lead to your AC overheating and your energy bills rising as your system has to work harder than it should to keep your home cool.
While a deep clean of your condenser is probably best left to the professionals, it doesn’t take much effort to keep the area around your outdoor unit clear, and your AC will thank you for it!
Schedule an Air Conditioning Tune-Up with Ideal Energy
The above tips are handy ways for you to stay on top of your Chandler, Scottsdale, or Mesa home’s cooling, but there’s really no substitute for scheduling air conditioner maintenance service with an HVAC expert.
At Ideal Energy, we take AC tune-ups seriously! Our technicians follow ACCA protocols and complete a thorough evaluation of your entire system, including both the indoor and outdoor components. We’ll check things like:
- Refrigerant levels and possible leaks
- Wear on fan motor and fan blades
- Blower assembly
- Evaporator coil
- Electrical connections
- And much, much more!
It’s a good idea to have a professional take a look at your cooling system every spring. Even if your AC doesn’t seem to be broken, it could be running inefficiently without you knowing it, leading to an increase in your electricity bills and inconvenient (and expensive) breakdowns. With a regular air conditioner maintenance schedule, you can feel confident that your AC is up for the challenge of another Arizona summer!