The cold weather hasn’t fully loosened its grip on us yet—but this week is the first official week of spring, and that means it’s planning time. And not just for doing your taxes. This is when we recommend you start preparing your HVAC system for spring weather and the hot weather of summer coming right after it.
Here are a few steps to take so your HVAC system is ready to spring into spring:
Change the HVAC system filter
We hope you’ve changed the filter at least once during the winter. This is an immense help at keeping a furnace energy efficient and effective. But you should change it again before the warm weather arrives; it’s had plenty of time during late winter to build up debris that will lower airflow and cause all sorts of problems for the AC and air circulation.
Have any late repair issues with the furnace corrected
You don’t want to have the furnace shut down at the end of the cold weather with any lingering repair problems. We know it’s easy to shrug off a small furnace malfunction because the system is going to go into summer hibernation soon—but any malfunction can worsen over time, and you might be left with a broken furnace when you need it again at the end of the year.
Clean and clear out the area around the AC’s condenser cabinet
For an air conditioning system to work its best, the condenser cabinet outdoors needs to be clear for a few feet around. Snow drifts can deposit grime all over the grills, and leaves and branches may also be obstructing air flow. Once you have larger objects removed, take a hose on low pressure and give the cabinet a quick cleaning.
Check that all room vents are open and unblocked
You can’t shut off heating or cooling to a room by closing the louvers on the room vents. In fact, this creates a rise in pressure inside the ductwork that can damage the ducts and the heater/air conditioner. See that the room vents are all open, and also check if any moved furniture or carpets has accidentally blocked off a vent.
Schedule a professional maintenance inspection and tune-up for the system
Yes, HVAC maintenance needs to be done every spring. A year is plenty of time for strain, dirt, and dust to start to wear down an AC. Unless you have professionals give the system a tune-up and close inspection, this wear and grime will cut into the air conditioner’s energy efficiency and place it a higher risk of needing repairs—or possibly a full early replacement! Inspections will catch troubles before they become serious and see that you won’t run into an emergency “no cooling” situation.
Many Plymouth, IN, HVAC contractors offer maintenance programs to care for both air conditioning and heating systems around the year. But we offer maintenance with a difference through our HomeSavers Club. For one low annual cost, you’ll AC and furnace tune-ups and discounts on service calls, emergency calls, duct cleaning, propane tank re-fills, and purchases from our Fireplace Shoppe. We’ll send you additional money-saving coupons through email.
Collier’s Heating & Air Conditioning: For Over 30 Years, A Company You’ve Grown to Trust!
