It’s been a long winter, and your air conditioner has been resting for several months now. But as winter makes way for spring, the time is fast approaching for your air conditioner to be woken up from its slumber. We want to help make that transition as smooth as possible, so today we’re going to talk about five things you can do to take care of your air conditioner after winter!
5 ways to wake up your air conditioner after its winter hibernation
- If you used a cover, remove it. For several different reasons, we do not recommend covering your air conditioner during winter. However, if you chose to cover your air conditioner in one way or another during the cold months, you must remove that cover before you use your air conditioner for the first time. If your air conditioner tries to run with the cover on, it can cause some serious damage and efficiency problems.
- Schedule your annual tune-up. As we discussed earlier this week, an annual tune-up is essential if you want to avoid breakdowns, keep your energy bills low and get the most out of your air conditioner this cooling season. This is true for all air conditioners, even if you didn’t notice any problems last year. A tune-up is the best way to “wake up” your air conditioner and ensure that it runs great on the first day you need it.
- Clean up your outdoor unit. During a tune-up, Jerry Kelly Heating & Air Conditioning will perform a thorough cleaning on your air conditioner’s outdoor unit. If you’ll be using your system in the meantime, however, it’s a good idea to give your outdoor unit a quick scrub down. Remove any dirt, debris, or leaves that have built up on the unit and consider giving it a quick rinse with your hose (but be careful not to bend the fins).
- Replace your air filter. Did you keep up with your air filter changes this winter? If not, your filter is probably caked with dirt! Make sure that you check your air filter before you use your air conditioner so that you can keep your cooling system protected and avoid high energy bills.
- Remember to switch your thermostat setting. We all know how crazy the transition between winter and spring can be in the St. Louis area. One day it’s 70 degrees sunny, and the next it’s 20 degrees and snowing! Remember that your thermostat has a “heat” setting for your furnace and a “cool” setting for your air conditioner, and you must use the appropriate settings when you want to run either system.
If you have any questions about what to do with your air conditioner after winter, or if you’d like a cooling system serviced or installed in your home, contact Jerry Kelly Heating & Air Conditioning, your St. Charles heating and cooling contractor. We service the St. Louis area, including towns like St. Peters, Town and Country, and Weldon Spring.
