Getting Your AC System Ready For Summer
Summer will be here before you know it. When it arrives, it will bring with it a wave of heat and humidity that will have you wishing for winter. While you can’t change the season or take away the heat, you can control your indoor environment with a reliable and efficient air conditioner.
However, over these past few months, your air conditioner has been the least of your worries. After all, most days during winter in Olathe are anything but warm. How do you ensure, then, that your air conditioner will be ready when the dog days of summer arrive? To help you prepare with plenty of time to spare, here are a few tips to help you make sure your air conditioner can take the heat.
Clear the Debris
When preparing your air conditioner for summer, it’s best to start from the outside-in. That means you begin with your compressor — the large metal unit that sits outside your home.
Throughout autumn and winter, debris, including leaves, acorns, sticks, dead grass, and other natural elements, have been falling on and around your compressor. When you fire up your air conditioner, this debris can clog the vents that allow the compressor to expel heat, causing it to work harder and potentially overheat. Therefore, it’s important that you clear this debris away and cut back any plants that are intruding on the space around the compressor.
Check the Filter
Another important preparation you can make on your own is to check your air filter. While this is something you should be doing on a monthly basis anyway, it’s a good idea to check it when you’re preparing your air conditioner for the summer. If you notice that it’s clogged, go ahead and put in a new filter, even if it hasn’t been a month since you last changed it.
A clean air filter is crucial for the proper operation of your air conditioner. The air that the system draws in is pushed through the evaporator coils. These coils, filled with cold refrigerant, remove humidity from the air and lower its temperature.
Without an adequate air supply, though, your system won’t be able to cool enough air to keep your house at the temperature you desire. Therefore, it’s important to keep the air flowing by maintaining a clean air filter at all times.
Clean the Drain
As mentioned above, one of the jobs of your air conditioner is to remove humidity from the air. The way it does this is by changing the humidity, which is water vapor, into liquid by exposing the humidity to the cold refrigerant.
Once the change has occurred, the resulting liquid, also known as condensate, has to have somewhere to drain to prevent leaks. Therefore, it’s important that you clean this drain before you operate your air conditioner for the first time.
The condensate drain is a vertical pipe, usually a half-inch in diameter, that’s located next to your main HVAC unit. The top will be open, which allows the drain to overflow if there’s a blockage in the drain.
You’ll want to pour a diluted bleach solution through this opening to clear out any blockages and kill any mildew. You’ll also want to ensure that the other end of the condensate drain, which is located outside your home, is free of debris.
Consult the Experts
Once you’ve completed these do-it-yourself maintenance items, it’s crucial that you call Mike Bryant Heating & Cooling to have a technician give your system a thorough tune-up. Air conditioning technicians can use specialized tools to assess the health of your system and make absolutely sure that it’s ready for the upcoming summer season.
The technicians at Mike Bryant Heating & Cooling will ensure that the refrigerant levels are where they’re supposed to be, ruling out a refrigerant leak. They’ll also inspect all electrical connections to ensure they’re tight, lubricate all moving parts, clean dust and debris away from any sensitive components, and perform general observations while your system is operating to check for any developing issues.
Every technician at Mike Bryant Heating & Cooling takes pride in his or her work, ensuring that the results you receive are second-to-none. We provide repairs for all types of air conditioners and furnaces, including geothermal systems and boilers. We can also conduct indoor air quality tests to ensure the air you’re breathing is as clean as it should be.
Though Mike Bryant Heating & Cooling has been around since 2004, most of our technicians have experience stretching far beyond that. Still owned by our founder, you can be sure that you’ll receive personalized service that goes the extra mile to ensure you’re completely satisfied.
All you have to do is take a quick look at one of our numerous 5-star reviews to see why Mike Bryant Heating & Cooling in Olathe is the right choice for your heating and cooling needs, including repairs, installation, and maintenance. You can experience the difference for yourself by giving us a call today.
