Spring AC Maintenance: Don’t Wait Until July to Find Out If Your AC Still Works!
Summer is coming. And even here in the Pacific Northwest, we get a couple of hot months each year, and usually a few weeks of miserable heat. After some extreme winter weather, you don’t want to wait until the hot days arrive to find out if your air conditioner still works.
We recommend testing out your AC in April or May during the first warm spell. Just turn it on and run it for an hour to see what happens.
Feel the air coming out the vents.
Go listen to the unit operate.
Look around the unit to see if there are any liquids coming out.
If everything seems to be working okay and you don’t hear any strange noises, then you might only need minimal maintenance work done. But if anything’s not quite right, or if the whole system isn’t working, you’ll be glad you caught it now before the first serious heat wave hits the area.
Tips for Spring AC Maintenance
The secret to avoiding big AC repair costs is consistent care and ongoing maintenance. And the simplest thing you can do is to clean or replace the filter regularly. A clogged filter reduces the efficiency of the unit, which means higher costs for you because it has to work harder to perform the same task.
Note: The filter is in the indoor AC unit, not the outdoor component. If you don’t know much about air conditioners, checking the filter is probably best left to an expert.
A good indicator that your filter may be clogged is if the fans work (air still comes out the vents), but it isn’t cold. This isn’t the only explanation of that, but it’s a good possible cause to check first.
Over time, with continual buildup, the motors will have to work too hard and will break down sooner than they should. And a broken motor isn’t something most people can fix themselves.
So follow this simple guide to Spring AC maintenance to avoid big repair costs:
- Clean your filter
- Change your filter if it’s dirty
- Clean the unit of winter debris and any mold or filth that may have built up
- Check the thermostat batteries – this is so often the problem! So simple to fix!
Another maintenance step is to lubricate certain moving parts. But again, knowing which parts need this and which ones do not requires more expertise than a typical homeowner has. If you’re not sure, you shouldn’t do this on your own.
And, depending on your physical abilities and willingness to get dirty, you might need to hire a professional to do some of these tasks. But doing this in the spring will ensure you make it through the summer heat wave with a working air conditioner.
What to Do If Your AC Doesn’t Start
If it doesn’t start, take action now so you can be sure you’ll have cool air in the hot weeks of summer.
Perform the maintenance tasks listed above or hire someone to come out and do them for you. Also, try re-setting your breaker switch. Wait for five minutes before turning it back on again. This will allow the system to reset.
If basic maintenance doesn’t fix the problem, then you probably have a more technically-specific flaw that requires more skill to fix.
What are possible problems causing your AC not to start?
- Electrical problems – this is the most common cause. It could be a blown fuse or a breaker switch turned off. Could be the wiring in your thermostat
- Broken compressor – the safety controls on most AC units won’t allow your system to start if the compressor is broken
- Broken or clogged motors – again, the system can’t turn on without these crucial parts working right
- Low coolant – could be leaking or just running low. If so, this is a major problem that needs immediate attention from a professional
- Full condenser drain – if you know how to empty it, this is a good step to take. But again, this is a technically-proficient task that is best left to a professional
While most outdoor air conditioning units are built to withstand the weather, multiple periods of freezing and thawing, combined with lots of rain, debris, critters, and moisture, will have an effect over time.
So if your AC isn’t starting at all, you’ve tried resetting the breakers, and you’ve checked the thermostat batteries, then one of these culprits is likely the problem.
In that case, if you live in Snohomish county, Kirkland, Lynwood, Edmonds, Monroe, and the surrounding areas, schedule an appointment to have us come out and look at your AC. You can learn more about basic AC and furnace troubleshooting here.
Get on the schedule soon so you can be sure your AC will be fixed before summer – we fill up fast!
Schedule your AC repair appointment by contacting us
Tags: AC, AC maintenance, AC repair, air conditioner maintenance, air conditioner repair, air conditioners, fireplace cleaning, HVAC, HVAC maintenance, HVAC repair, thermostat
