How to Get Your Air Conditioner Ready for Summer!

It's such a wonderful feeling when spring rolls around and you can finally stop pumping up the home heating. But the temperature never remains perfect for long! After a few weeks, you start sweating and the food starts melting, and you know that it's time to turn on the air conditioner. So you go to turn it on for the first time since last summer-about 6 months-and lo and behold, it doesn't work. This is unacceptable of course because it will be 90 degrees out tomorrow, so you call up your air conditioning repair company. Its then that you get the worst news. It is either, the unit needs some major repairs which will cost you hundreds of dollars, or-worse-the AC unit is completely shot and you need to buy a new one for over one thousand dollars. And also, you need to suffer in the heat until you have an up and running air conditioner. The good news is, of course, that this situation is purely hypothetical at the moment. It should be comforting to know that there are plenty of steps you can take to avoid these situations and get your air conditioner ready for summer.

There are some things that you can do yourself. For example, you should always change out the filter in you air conditioning unit before the summer season starts. Ideally the unit should be replaced every 3 months or so, though in many cases- if you have pets for example-it should be done more often. There are plenty of do-it-yourself sites that can walk you through this simple process. Another thing you can do is clean off the AC unit. If you live in a sandy area or you think that pollen or other growth has found its way into your air conditioner, you can use a hose to clean off the fins of the unit. Be sure to turn your air conditioner to off first, of course, and let it dry before using it.

If you have an older air conditioner, however, or are feeling unsure of your maintenance skills, it may be in your best interest to call an AC repair and service company. Most heating and cooling companies have special deals before summer which allow homeowners to have their AC serviced for a lower cost. This normally includes cleaning dirty coils and changing filters in order to keep the unit running smoothly.

Whether you do it yourself or call a professional HVAC company, it is in your best interest to take preventive action with your air conditioning unit. It often takes less than an hour to clean you AC and filters are inexpensive. On the other hand, air conditioner repairs can be costly and a new unit can be even more expensive. Check out web pages such as the Do It Yourself network for tips and advice, or call your local air conditioner repair and service company for professional assistance. And hey, stay cool this summer!