The summer weather is starting to recede: the official end of the season is less than two weeks away. You’re soon going to start making plans for turning on the heating system that will warm your home through later fall and into the winter. A crucial part of those plans includes schedule routine heating maintenance: sign up for our MAX Comfort Plan and we’ll have your heating taken care of!
But part of fall planning involves the air conditioning system. Simply shutting it off for the season isn’t the best idea. You want the AC in excellent shape for that first day you need it in spring. The way you want your heater to be prepared when the first cold day hits, you also want your AC prepared. There are a few steps you can take at this time of the year to help.
Make Sure All Repair Needs Are Seen To
You don’t want to close down your air conditioner for the year if it has any malfunctions, even seemingly minor ones. They will likely worsen over time and can mean a nightmare on the first hot day of the coming year. If you have any suspicions about your AC’s performance, call us for air conditioning repairs before you do anything else with the cooling system.
Clean the Outdoor Unit
Don’t allow the outdoor condenser unit to end the season covered with dirt and grime. Give the system a cleaning with a hose, although don’t turn the pressure on too high and blast it into the grill, as this might damage the coils. Let the unit dry before you cover it (see later step).
Turn Off the Air Conditioner
We don’t mean turning it off at the thermostat: there’s always the possibility the AC might turn on during a slight warm spell in the winter, and that can create problems with the outdoor unit by allowing moisture inside. It also leaves a possibility of electrocution danger. What we mean is to turn off the entire system at the AC disconnect switch, a circuit that runs to the air conditioner. This circuit is outside and located near to the condenser unit under a lid. Flip open the lid and turn the switch to “off.” Your AC will now stay completely off during the winter. Turn the switch back on the first day you need to use the AC again.
Place a Cover over the Condenser?
There’s some debate about the advisability of covering the outdoor condenser. You can purchase special covers just for this purpose, and on the surface it sounds like a good idea. However, we don’t recommend it, since it might cause your AC more harm than good. If the AC is tightly wrapped it can cause condensation to form and this may begin to seize the compressor or fan motor. If there’s a short hot spell as spring closes in and the AC starts up, it could suffer damage with the cover. (Of course, this is why we recommend completely shutting off the AC at the disconnect switch.) In general, AC manufacturers build their units to withstand harsh climates around the year, so you should be fine without the unit covered.
If you need to schedule any professional air conditioning service in Skokie, IL, such as a late-season repair, we’re the people to trust with the work. We offer 24/7 service and we are dedicated to delivering 100% satisfaction on each job we do.
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