End-Of-Season Maintenance For Your Air Conditioning
At the end of the warm weather season, most people neglect their air conditioners, abandoning them until next year's warm weather season and expecting them to run as it should immediately when you turn it on. This may not happen, however, if you are neglecting to maintain your unit after the season ends. In order to extend the life of your unit, you should do routine maintenance throughout the season and at the end of the season as well. Read on for some end-of-the-season maintenance tasks you should be performing.
Spray The Unit Down
Hose down your unit to remove built up grass clippings and other exterior debris. Pollen and other types of flying debris, including bugs and nests may be inside your air conditioning unit. These can block the flow of air to the unit next year when you try to turn on your system. It's a good idea to spray down the unit throughout the season and when you're finished using it for the year as well. Use a garden hose to spray the unit down and remember to spray the interior of the unit as well. Remove the exterior housing to give the unit a good cleaning.
Remove Objects Surrounding The Unit
Clear away anything that could be blocking the unit or could fall onto the unit. If you have piled up wood for the winter season, be sure it's far enough away from the air conditioner so it doesn't fall onto the unit and cause damage. Other things should also be cleared away from the unit to prevent damage. Never store anything right next to your air conditioner or on top of the unit to prevent damage.
Cover Your Unit
Once you're finally finished for the season with your air conditioner, place a cover over the top of it to prevent animals or fall pests from getting into it and nesting there. Other animals, including strays, can use it as their own personal bathroom, which can eat away at the fins and other parts of the unit. Covering the unit during the fall and winter months can prevent this type of damage, as well as damage from falling leaves and twigs or branches.
At the end of the season, when you turn off your unit, you need to be sure to do proper maintenance to ensure it works correctly next spring/summer. If you aren't sure what type of maintenance you should be doing, hire a professional HVAC technician to do this air conditioning maintenance work for you.