Photo By ghornephoto at istock

As the seasons change and summer starts to approach, it’s important to make sure your HVAC system is ready for the changes. Preparing your AC for the summer is particularly important if you don’t want to sit in a sweltering house waiting for air conditioner repairs in the middle of summer. Unfortunately, most Mansfield, TX, homeowners don’t do a good job of keeping up with routine HVAC maintenance and repairs. If you want to get your AC ready for summer, here’s what you need to do before the heat arrives.

Seasonal Maintenance

The most important thing you can do to extend the life of your HVAC system is to have seasonal maintenance done every year. During seasonal maintenance, an air conditioning repair expert will take a close look at your furnace and air conditioner to make sure there’s nothing out of order. If there is a problem, repairs can be made before the problem gets any worse.

A technician will also help keep your HVAC system clean during seasonal maintenance. From changing the air filter to cleaning debris from around the unit and cleaning critical parts, seasonal maintenance involves a lot of cleaning that can extend the life of your HVAC system.

So, how often should you have seasonal maintenance done? Most air conditioning repair experts recommend having seasonal maintenance done twice a year—once during the spring and once during the fall. This ensures your HVAC system is prepared for the demanding heating and cooling seasons, plus you don’t have to have somebody working on your furnace or AC when you need it most. Simply keeping up with this twice-a-year HVAC maintenance can greatly extend the life of your system.

Air Filters

If you don’t know much about air filters and how they affect your HVAC system, now is the perfect time to learn a little. All the air that’s delivered to your home via your HVAC system runs through an air filter, which is designed to remove particles like dust and pet hair from the air before you breathe it in. Because air filters have such an important job, changing your air filter is an important part of keeping up with air conditioning repair and maintenance.

Air filters need to be changed about once every six months for a single-person household, but that rule quickly changes as you add more people. For families, you should change your air filter about once every three months. If you have pets and a large family, you might want to change your air filter monthly.

If you want better filtration, you can talk to an air conditioning repair expert about upgrading to a better air filter. HEPA air filters and filters with higher MERV ratings are great for removing particles from the air. However, it’s important to keep in mind that better filtration means less airflow, which can lead to problems if you don’t change your air filter often enough.

Check for Leaks

Leaks are one thing you want to keep an eye out for when it comes to your AC. Your air conditioner is supposed to create a bit of condensation if it’s working right, but that condensation should be disposed of via the condensate drain line. If you notice a pool of water building up around your AC, you might need to have an air conditioning repair company clean out the drain pan or drain line. Letting this water continue to pool up can lead to mold growth and other problems, so it’s important to take care of it as soon as possible.

Keep in mind that not all leaks are simple water leaks. In some cases, you may have refrigerant leaking from your AC. Not only is refrigerant fairly expensive to replace, but it’s also dangerous to deal with. If you suspect you have a refrigerant leak, make sure you call an AC repair technician instead of trying to handle cleanup on your own. We can take the necessary precautions to get your refrigerant leak cleaned up without exposing it to your skin or respiratory system, plus we can quickly figure out what’s causing the leak.

Additional Tips

Now that summer is approaching, it’s important to figure out what you need to do to prepare your AC for the warm months. Fortunately, we’ve got some other tips to help you get your AC ready for the scorching hot summer.

First, make sure you test your AC right now. If you do end up needing air conditioning repairs, it’s best to know that now and not in the summer. You don’t have to run your AC for long; simply cycle it on and make sure you’re getting cool air from the registers and you’re good to go.

You can also avoid expensive air conditioning repairs by using your AC a little less. During the summer, try bumping the thermostat up a few degrees to give your AC a break and prevent wear and tear.

If you smell a strange odor when you cycle your AC on, that’s a sign that you’ve got something in your ducts or the AC unit itself. In any case, shut your AC off and call an air conditioning repair company to find the source of the odor. If you’re smelling mold or mildew, that means you’re breathing it in, too.

Minuteman Can Help

Preparing for the changes that come with new seasons can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. With a good air conditioning repair company on your side, getting your HVAC system ready for the summer has never been easier. Lucky for you, Minuteman Heating & Air can help you keep your Mansfield, TX, home comfortable all summer long. If you need somebody to help you get your AC ready for summer, give Minuteman Heating & Air a call at (817) 284-2569.