Pro Tips for Maintaining Your AC System

Keeping your lawn trimmed and clean is a great way to increase curb appeal and add value to your home if you’re looking to sell it. While you won’t be selling your air conditioner anytime soon, keeping it in top condition with maintenance will reduce the risk of breakdowns and could even extend the life of your AC. When you add up the cost of repairs and replacement, keeping up with maintenance has a lot of value. Follow these tips to maintain your AC system with ease.

Change the Air Filter

Changing your air filter is the easiest part of maintaining your HVAC system — but it’s also easy to forget. When your filter gets dirty, it reduces the airflow through the system and interferes with its efficiency. If dust and other debris make it past the filter, your AC could be left vulnerable to breakdowns. Not to mention, you’d be breathing air with dirt circulating in it.

You should change your air filter every one to three months, more often in the summer and winter or if you have shedding pets. Set a monthly reminder on your phone to check the filter so you won’t forget about it.

Clean the Outdoor Unit

Your outdoor AC unit, or the condenser unit, will need to be cleaned of leaves, twigs, and other debris every now and then. When these kinds of things get stuck in the unit they can interfere with the coils and the fan, reducing the system’s efficiency and possibly causing damage. In addition, built-up debris in the close space makes the perfect home for critters that could further damage the AC unit. If you notice debris in your AC unit, take a few minutes to simply clear it away.

Keep Debris Out of Your AC

While falling twigs and leaves are nearly impossible to keep out of your AC unit, there are a couple of things you can do to prevent buildup. Maintain a barrier of at least two feet around your AC unit to allow proper ventilation and keep debris out of the system. Don’t plant greenery within this barrier, and if you’re planting small shrubs that will grow large, remember to take their future size into consideration. You should also trim away any tree branches that are close enough to drop leaves into the AC unit. This way, you won’t need to clean the unit as often.

Check the Condensate Drain Pan

Condensation is a normal part of the air conditioning process. As such, there is a condensate drain pan under your indoor AC unit that catches the water and drains it either directly out of your home or into your plumbing system. Over time, buildup from dust and other debris can clog the drain, keeping water from draining out of the pan. This can cause major water damage and plumbing problems if left unchecked, so remember to check for accumulated water in the drain pan every now and then.

Schedule Regular HVAC Maintenance

The best thing you can do for your AC system is to schedule seasonal maintenance twice a year — once in the spring and fall for your AC and heater, respectively. While the HVAC technician won’t do any landscaping for you during the AC tune-up, they will perform a comprehensive inspection of your AC system and make sure it’s running properly. Changing the filter, clearing debris, and checking for clogs are all part of an air conditioning tune-up.

Contact Norman Air today to schedule your seasonal AC tune-up.

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