Is your air conditioner ready for warm weather? As temperatures rise and you realize that you may need your AC soon, it’s important to make sure it’s ready to go. Don’t wait until the first hot day to turn on the air because if it doesn’t work, you’ll be stuck in the heat waiting for repair. As you do your spring cleaning and home maintenance, don’t forget AC maintenance.

Try these 7 tips to make sure your air conditioner is ready to handle a long, hot summer.

SAFETY FIRST

Turn off the circuit breaker before working on your air conditioning system. Be sure to turn off the power to the condenser at the service panel before working on your air conditioner unit. The condenser also typically has a 240-volt weatherproof disconnect box located near the unit. This contains a lever, fuses, or a circuit breaker to shut off the condenser. Be sure to turn this off as well.

PREPARE OUTDOOR UNIT

Remove the cover and hose down your A/C. Pay special attention to cleaning the condenser coil: make sure outdoor debris including weeds, grass clippings, twigs, and branches are cleared away. Turn `ON’ the outdoor switch also ensure the breakers are ‘ON’. The humidifier bypass should be closed.

CHANGE YOUR FILTERS

At the very least you should change your filters twice a year, and the best time to do it is in the spring when you switch from heat to AC and in the fall when you switch back to heat again. Filters are very inexpensive, but they are some of the most crucial parts of your HVAC system. Filters keep dust, dirt, debris, allergens, and other particles out of your ducts and the mechanical parts of your air conditioner and furnace.

INSPECT YOUR VENTS

Walk around your home and make sure all the vents in your home are open and not blocked by any furniture, curtains, or other items. Make sure there is no dust or debris inside the vents. If there is, remove the vent cover and clean it out. If you have children, sometimes small toys fall into floor vents. If you have pets, pieces of chew toys or tufts of fur can end up in your floor vents. Ceiling vents are less likely to collect debris, but sometimes collect cobwebs that need to be cleared out.

CHECK YOUR THERMOSTAT 

Test your air conditioner by switching your thermostat over to cool and lower it to a cooler temperature than the current indoor temperature. You should hear your AC come on and the outdoor unit will start humming. After it runs a few minutes, walk around your home and feel for cool air coming from your vents. If you don’t already have a programmable thermostat, consider getting one to save energy.

BOOK A PRECISION TUNE-UP 

The benefits of an A/C tune-up from a qualified technician are endless. Not only do regular tune-ups extend the life of your A/C, but they will actually help lower your energy cost. Get your HVAC tech to double check Freon coolant levels, to ensure there are no leaks or issues.

SCHEDULE AC MAINTENANCE  

Even if your air conditioner seems to be running well when you first turn it on, this is still a good time to schedule professional AC maintenance. Your HVAC expert will perform a thorough inspection, cleaning, and tune up of your system, following an extensive checklist to make sure everything is in good working order and nothing is missed. Professional AC maintenance will improve the efficiency of your system and help you avoid unexpected costly repairs.