Although we’re going to call winter the “off-season” for your air conditioning system, we know that this means something different in Florida than it does in, say, Minnesota. The AC won’t shut down and stay off for months. Rather, it will simply see less work. The hot days will still come around and your air conditioning in Wesley Chapel, FL must be ready for them.
This is why taking steps to maintain your air conditioner during the off-season is important. These are basic precautions to ensure the best performance from the system whenever you need it during the coming months. When spring arrives, you can arrange for the professional maintenance the AC requires to handle yet another hot and humid Florida summer.
Steps for Off-Season AC Care
1. Regularly change the air filter
We mention this often when talking about air conditioning and heating because it’s that important. If you have a furnace and AC in the same cabinet (which most homes do), they both use the same filter, so regular changes are beneficial to keeping your home comfortable no matter the weather. The filter needs to be changed for a new one every one to three months, depending on the filter strength. We recommend checking on the filter monthly to see if it’s clogged up—you’ll soon learn the right schedule for filter changes.
2. Clean the condenser cabinet and clear the area around it
The outdoor condenser cabinet needs to be clean and have no obstructions near it for it to work well. Keeping it clean and clear also keeps objects from getting inside it and damaging parts. Use a hose on low pressure to clean the cabinet exterior, and then clear away any brush, leaves, and branches for about two feet from around the cabinet.
3. Clean the vent covers
Dusty vent covers can lead to more dust getting blown into the house. Dust them off, and also check that no room vents have been obstructed by furniture or other objects that have been moved.
4. Have repairs done as soon as you detect them
Please don’t ignore anything amiss with your AC just because you aren’t using it as much. Prompt repairs are key to ensuring the air conditioner is in the best shape and not allowed to deteriorate.
Do You Have a Heat Pump? It Needs Professional Maintenance
If you have a heat pump rather than an air conditioner, you might think the same steps apply to it. After all, it works almost identically to an air conditioner. But a heat pump is a special case: yes, it needs maintenance, but it needs professional maintenance. Just as you called for maintenance for it in spring, you need to call for it in fall. This is because the heat pump works twice as much during the winter as it handles both heating or cooling. To properly prepare it for the season, join our Premier Service Agreement and we’ll put you on the schedule for heating maintenance as soon as possible. You’ll have AC maintenance in the spring as well.
Experience the Balanced Air, Inc. difference! Call us for any help you need with your heating or cooling this fall and winter.
