Vacationing is the highlight of the summer for many families. Before leaving for an extended trip out of town, most people pack their bags and make arrangements for someone to get the mail. Another thing you must do is maintain your air conditioner while you are away. Taking a few moments to get the air conditioner ready could save hundreds or even thousands of dollars in unexpected repair bills.
Maintain Your Air Conditioner (General Maintenance)
Before leaving on vacation, learning how to maintain your air conditioner will go a long way in protecting your whole HVAC system. To help ensure a healthy air conditioner over the summer:
- Check and replace air conditioning filters every 30 days. Write the date on the filter itself and set reminders on your calendar so you never forget.
- Turn the thermostat up, but do not turn the air conditioning off completely. The heat buildup in your home can damage things like art, wooden floors, doors, and more. In addition, your refrigerator will have to work extra hard and you could make things very uncomfortable for any pets that you may have. Instead of turning the system off, turn the thermostat up to 85 degrees while away on vacation (or any significant period of time). This also applies in the winter; set your thermostat back, but do not turn it off completely.
- Check around your outdoor A/C unit for encroaching landscaping and debris. Clear away anything near the outdoor unit to maintain a clearance of 3 feet minimum. This will ensure proper airflow.
- Use the garden hose to wash off the condenser unit’s coils. Clean coils are better able to dissipate heat and could save you a lot of money on your air conditioning bill. Here is a video that shows you how to do it:
- Arrange for a professional air conditioning tune-up. A qualified service technician will perform a thorough inspection of the system to detect any potential problems. Give Boulden Brothers a call for 100% satisfaction guarantee on all of our services.
Preparing for Storms
While you’re away from home, it is possible that severe weather conditions could affect your home and air conditioner. When severe weather arrives, so does the possibility of a power outage or lightning strike that could cause damage to the air conditioning system. Preparing for this possibility could prevent the need for system replacement due to catastrophic damage.
- If severe weather is likely during your absence from home, you should unplug or at least turn off your air conditioning.
- Remove any items from the yard that could become airborne during high winds. These items could hit the outdoor unit and damage it.
- Ask a trusted technician to check on the system after a severe weather event occurs.
- Install whole home surge protection by a professional electrician to protect all of your electronics and appliances. Your whole home surge protector diverts the electrical surge to a grounding wire.
In addition to air conditioning maintenance and replacement, Boulden Brothers also offers quite a number of other related products and services: surge protectors, ultra violet lights, filters, humidifiers, thermostats, and air cleaning systems.
Learning how to maintain your air conditioner over summer will not only reduces utility costs while you’re away, but it also help to ensure that there will be no unpleasant surprises when you return from your trip. For more ideas on getting your air conditioner ready for summer weather, call us now!
All of our home services are backed with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
For more information on air conditioning maintenance or other home maintenance such as propane, plumbing, and electrical, call the home experts at (302) 368-3848.
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