Ensuring your air conditioner works well before summer arrives in Greenville is essential. Luckily, there are several steps you can take to clean and prepare your HVAC system for the summer heat. Below are our tips for getting your system ready for the season.

Remember, whenever you’re cleaning or assessing any aspect of your air conditioner, you must ensure you’ve turned off the system’s circuit breaker in your electrical panel.

1. Clean & Replace Air Filters

Dirty air filters can strain your air conditioner unnecessarily. Ensure you replace your air filters at least every 30 to 60 days; however, depending on how many in your household suffer from allergies or the number of pets in your home, it’s recommended to change them at least every 20 days as needed.

2. Clear Out Any Outdoor Debris

The part of your air conditioner that’s outside your home, the compressor, often becomes clogged with leaves, pine needles, or sticks. You can remove debris by turning the system off and then flushing the condenser out with a hose. 

Also, remove any additional debris from the area immediately surrounding the unit to prevent it from being clogged again.

3. Clean Your Condenser Coils

Removing anything clogging your condenser coils is also a good idea to ensure maximum efficiency. First, ensure that the unit is off at the circuit breaker and there’s no power coming to the unit. Then, remove the outdoor unit’s top and side panels. 

Next, lift the top of the unit, which may be heavy if it has the unit’s fan attached to it. You can then use a refrigerator coil brush or the brush on your vacuum to gently clean the condenser’s coils, first from the outside, then from the inside. 

4. Check & Straighten Fins

While outside, you should also take time to inspect the metal fins on the unit. These bend easily, which can impact the way the unit releases heat. If you notice any of the fins need adjustments, you can bend them back into shape using a fin comb, which you can find at your local hardware store. 

5. Check Your HVAC’s Coolant Lines

Your AC’s coolant lines run from the air handler’s evaporator to the outside condenser. Typically, these refrigerant tubes are covered with foam insulation. 

Inspect these lines to see if there are any spots where insulation is damaged or mission. If so, replace those areas with new foam insulation or repair them with insulation tape. 

6. Program Your Thermostat

This is also a great time to evaluate your schedule and adjust your thermostat to fit your daily needs. By setting it to a higher temperature when you’re out of the house, for example, you can ensure the system will run more efficiently.

7. Schedule Maintenance

Before the summer heat arrives, scheduling your annual tune-up and air conditioning maintenance is a good idea. Our professional technicians at Preferred Home Services can run a complete diagnostic check on your system, test controls, and check the refrigerant levels.

Choose Preferred Home Services for Your Next AC Tune-Up

Preferred Home Services is here for all your air conditioning maintenance needs. With our Preferred Partner Plan, you can simplify your annual tune-up.

We’ll remind you when it’s time to schedule service, and you’ll get special discounts as well as priority scheduling when you become a member.

Learn more about Preferred Home Services air conditioning maintenance services throughout Greenville. Call (864) 206-5620 and schedule your AC services now.