With the first day of summer rapidly approaching, now is the perfect time to get your HVAC system ready for the increase in temperatures. Working on getting your system ready now will help ensure that you can enjoy cool comfort all summer long. Plus, with your equipment all tuned up and ready to go, you can rest easy knowing that your unit is operating efficiently. This can help you avoid surprisingly high utility bills later down the line. Follow these tips from your friends at Bratcher Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. to help get your cooling system ready for the dog days of summer.
Schedule a Maintenance Visit
The best and most important way to get your HVAC system ready is to schedule a maintenance visit with us at Bratcher Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc.. A technician will come to your home and look at the individual components of your air conditioner, including the compressor, condenser, evaporator coil, blower fan, and more. They will also take a look at all the electrical connections to make sure they aren’t loose. Another crucial check they will do is to make sure your system’s refrigerant levels are correct. Low refrigerant levels can prevent your air conditioner from cooling your home effectively.
Check Your Air Filter
Checking your HVAC system’s air filter is a vital way to ensure that your system can handle the summer heat. You should inspect your system’s air filter at least once a month to verify that it’s not clogged with dust and debris. If the filter is dirty, you’ll want to switch it out with one of the same dimensions to ensure a tight fit in the filter chamber. A dirty filter can reduce your system’s performance by limiting the volume of air that can make its way through your air handler. This can cause long cooling cycles and a frozen refrigerant line.
Clean the Vents
Long, cold winters in Illinois often require you to keep your home closed up for months at a time. This can cause an accumulation of dust on and around your home’s vents. To prevent that dust from being released into your residence during the summer, it’s a good idea to clean your home’s vents as part of your spring cleaning regimen. Performing this task will help keep your home cleaner and improve its aesthetics. Most importantly, it will help improve your HVAC system’s performance by ensuring your system can release the full volume of conditioned air into each room of your home. If you discover that your ducts are dirty as well as your vents, it’s a good idea to reach out to us at Bratcher Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. for further assistance.
Maintain the Condensate Line
Your air conditioner likely has a condensate line that allows water to drain out of the pan that sits underneath the evaporator coil. This pan collects condensed water that your air conditioner removes from the humid air in your home. Unless you have a heat pump, this condensate line will go largely unused during the winter. That’s why it’s a good idea to flush the condensate line before you begin using your home’s air conditioner. You can flush the line using a mixture of bleach and water to help remove any mineral deposits on its interior. This will help your system drain properly so that the condensate pan doesn’t overflow into your utility area.
Remove Outdoor Debris
An HVAC system depends on its outdoor components to help change the pressure of the refrigerant. This change in pressure also changes the temperature of the substance and allows the refrigerant to remove heat from your home. To do this effectively, the outdoor unit needs to be free from debris or other obstructions. Before you turn on your air conditioner for the first time, be sure to thoroughly inspect the outdoor unit. Remove any debris that has accumulated during the winter and check for any damage. If you do notice damage, you’ll want to turn to us at Bratcher Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. before operating your system.
Your Cooling and Heating Specialists
At Bratcher Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc., we pride ourselves on helping our customers in Peoria, Bloomington, and Champaign maintain comfortable homes during the summer. That’s why we offer air conditioner maintenance, repair, and installation. We also offer furnace repair, geothermal system installation, indoor air quality tests, commercial HVAC services, and much more. For over 35 years, we’ve been assisting the community throughout this part of Illinois with top-notch service delivered with integrity. That’s why we’re able to maintain an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau and consistently receive five-star customer reviews. To learn more about getting your HVAC system ready for summer, contact us at Bratcher Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. today.
