Saddle up
The heat is on! Summer is on its way to Fort Worth, Texas, and residents need to keep their cool. Running a properly running air conditioner is one of the best ways for relief in temperatures that blaze into the 90s and 100s. You wouldn’t want to be without it when the heat really cranks up. An air conditioner needs some preventative TLC like a car. So, before you giddy up to someplace like the Fort Worth Zoo for the day, take a look at some of these tips to keep your air conditioner running cool all summer long.
Note: turn off your air conditioner from the breaker box before performing any maintenance duties on it.
Level up
Does your outdoor air conditioner sit on a square concrete pad? If so, it may be prone to shifting over time—especially if the ground underneath it is soft and unstable. A sloping air conditioner can put strain on the pipes and hoses that connect to your house. Other hazards due to an off-balance air conditioner are pooling liquids and improper drainage. This can cause mold, mildew, and cooling efficiency issues.
To fix this problem, you will need sand, a shovel, a level, and a sturdy lever (e.g. a 2×4 piece of wood). This will likely take two people, so find someone to help!
- Carefully lift the concrete slab with the lever where the unit is unlevel and hold it in place.
- Shovel sand below the concrete where there is a gap (i.e. place the sand into the gap created with the lever).
- Slowly lower the concrete back to the ground. If you need more sand to make it more level, repeat the process. Check your work with a level if needed.
Clean up
An outdoor air conditioner may be subject to rain, sleet, snow, dust, and heat, depending on where you live. This alone warrants a good scrubbing. Let’s look at some of the ways we can clean up your AC.
Trim it up
Oftentimes, the lawnmower misses the spots close to your house, where the air conditioner is located. If this leads to a total neglect, grass and other flora can grow tall next to your air conditioner. This is a problem for airflow. Take the time to clear away any greenery that’s crowding around air conditioner so it can breathe better.
Clean up, clean up
Before breaking out the water, vacuum up the outside of your air conditioner, and clear away any other debris. Then, unscrew the top of your outside air conditioner and remove the top grille. If the fan is connected, be careful not to pull on any wires. Vacuum out the inside of the air conditioner, and then gently hose off all the coils from the inside out until the water comes out clear.
Check the filter
If your air conditioner’s filter is dirty, airflow will be greatly diminished, leaving your system working much harder than necessary. Take the quick and simple step of checking your filter for buildup of particles. Give the filter a quick cleaning. If the filter is caked in gunk and grime, it may be time to purchase a new air filter from a wholesale air conditioner or home improvement shop.
No more neglect
Failure to perform regular maintenance on your air conditioner may be the cause of premature failure or breakage. No one wants to be shopping around for an AC replacement at a wholesale air conditioner or big box hardware store in the middle of a hot summer. When you treat your appliances well, they treat you well in return.