Prepping Your Air Conditioning System for Spring in Venice, FL

When it’s time to prepare your home or business for the spring season in Venice, FL, you should be sure to add air conditioner maintenance to your to-do list. Here in Florida, high temperatures tend to sneak up before summer even officially begins. Read on to learn more about prepping your air conditioning system for the hot and humid weather.

Start Spring Cleaning

Spring is an opportunity to clean homes and offices thoroughly, especially after spending so much time indoors during the winter. While most people remember to clean dust and vacuum or mop the floors, it’s often forgotten that the same amount of dirt and grime can accumulate in vents and air ducts.

While it may be very difficult for you to deep clean your air ducts yourself, you can still clean your visible vents and vent openings. To clean these areas, mix warm water and mild soap and use a clean cloth or sponge to scrub off the dust.

Remove vent covers gently and give them a complete cleaning, then allow them to air dry while you wipe up the inside and outside of the vent opening. Don’t reach too far inside the vent though as you may end up pushing the accumulated dirt further into the air duct.

After you clean up the inside of your home or business, you may want to continue by cleaning the yard outside and around your air conditioner’s condenser. Pick out any sticks, leaves or other debris you find lodged in the condenser’s sides, and wash up the entire surface of the unit with soap and water as you did with the vent covers and openings. This will ensure air can flow into your air conditioning system freely and without obstruction.

Change Your Air Filters

Along with cleaning your vents and air condenser, you should change your air filters to keep your air conditioner’s airflow clean once you start running it again. It’s recommended that you change your air filters once a month.

There are different air filter locations for each type of air conditioner, but most will have at least two: one under the air return vent and another in the air handler cabinet. If your air filters are washable, remove them, vacuum any debris off of them and soak them in soapy water for at least one hour. Remove them from the water, rinse and let them air dry completely before returning them to their cabinet.

If your air filters are disposable, replace them with new filters that match in size to ensure the filters will work properly. Whenever you reinsert any air filter, be sure to follow the arrows and guidelines placed on the filter to put it in the right way. If you insert an air filter backwards, your air conditioner will use extra energy by trying to bring in air through the filter.

Check Your Refrigerant Levels

If your air conditioner isn’t stocked with enough refrigerant, it’ll blow warm air instead of cold into your home or office. Perhaps the simplest way to check your refrigerant levels is by starting up your air conditioner and letting it run for at least an hour. Then, you can check your thermostat to see whether the air conditioner is cooling down your house or building.

If your air conditioner fails to cool your home or commercial building, you’ll need to call in an HVAC expert to refill your refrigerant. Remember to never attempt handing refrigerant yourself, as it’s a dangerous chemical that’s harmful when not disposed of properly.

Spring cleaning applies to your air conditioning system just as much as it applies to your whole home or office. Spring is also a great time to schedule an air conditioner check-up. Contact our HVAC experts at Custom Air & Plumbing today to give your air ducts a deep clean and to check your air conditioner’s wiring and tubes for damage.

Image provided by iStock