It’s finally starting to feel like spring, and now is the time that people begin to think about turning on their air conditioning systems. There are some things the average homeowner can do to help prepare an air conditioner for its initial season start up, but there are also some actions that are best left to a professional heating and air conditioning person.
Tony Oakman, from Lee’s Heating and Air walks through you can do and what’s best left to a professional.
According to Lee’s Heating and Air owner, Tony Oakman, the first thing a homeowner should do is change the furnace filter. “Most people don’t realize this, but your furnace’s blower motor drives the cold air from your central air conditioning system throughout the house in the summer. That’s why you need to check and change your furnace filter throughout the year. And, make sure it’s a pleated filter rather than a cheaper fiberglass panel filter. The fiberglass panel filter will only capture the largest of dust particles—and in the long run, because it allows smaller dust particles to enter your heating and air conditioning system, it could cause a really expensive breakdown in your equipment.”
Oakman adds, “To operate at its best, an air conditioning system needs to be able to operate in an environment without obstructions. It’s also a good idea to spray down the outside of your air conditioning system with a hose to clean the metal fins. Make sure you turn off the power to your air conditioning unit before you do this. And, make sure you’re not using so much pressure that you’re bending these fins.”
Oakman says that from this point forward, homeowners would be wise to bring in a professional.
He notes, “If a homeowner is beginning to disassemble anything related to a furnace or air conditioning unit, that’s almost always a formula for disaster.”
According to Oakman, here’s what you can expect for a full check and tune-up to get your system ready for the summer.
-Check thermostat settings.
-Tighten all electrical connections and measure voltage and current motors.
-Lubricate all moving parts.
-Check and inspect the condensation drain.
-Check controls of the system, like the starting and shut off cycles.
-Check refrigerant level and adjust if necessary.
-Clean and adjust the blower components to provide proper airflow. According to the U.S. Department of energy, airflow problems can reduce your system’s efficiency by up to 15 percent.
-Finally–and this is a big one–check and clean the evaporator and condenser air conditioning A coils. These coils are usually located above part of your furnace. If you’re a coil is dirty, it can collect moisture, which can actually turn to ice, causing all kinds of problems and potential damage in your air conditioning system. Plus, dirty coils can greatly reduce the life of your air conditioning system. Sometimes, when people have this problem, they lower the thermostat to try to get more cold air going through their system, and this actually aggravates the problem by building more ice.
For a limited time only, Lee’s Heating and Air will do a complete inspection and tune-up on your air conditioning system. This is normally a $129 service, but right now, Lee’s is doing this for just $49. To make an appointment, call Lee’s Heating and Air at (801)747-LEES (5337). You can also visit Lee’s on the web at leesheatac.com.
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