SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — As the weather heats up, seasonal maintenance to your air conditioning units is crucial.
Johnny Burke with Thompson and Thompson HVAC told WSAV that seasonal maintenance, much like with a car, can improve the life of your AC unit.
“If you don’t want to buy a unit and you don’t want to pay thousands of dollars for a unit, get a maintenance,” said Burke. “Get on a maintenance program with somebody.”
Energy-savers be warned; turning the air all the way off or setting temperatures over three degrees more than normal when you leave your home doesn’t do you any good.
“You’re not getting any benefit out of that,” said Burke. “You’re just overworking your system and being uncomfortable when you get home.”
For homeowners looking for more efficient AC cooling, Burke said maintenance comes first, but checking and changing your air filter once or twice a month could help a lot too.
“Every time you pay your power bill, change your filter.”
He said they don’t have to be expensive. A medium-grade filter will do just the trick.
Another thing that a homeowner can do to improve airflow is to spray inside the vents with a regular water hose to remove any dust or yard clippings, just remember to unplug the unit first.
Burke said drainage pipes are another easy fix homeowners can take care of with a vacuum.
He warned against the old wives’ tale of adding bleach to your drainage pipe to prevent clogs. It’ll work for prevention, but he said bleach can seriously damage the aluminum coils inside your unit.
“You can pour something like vinegar down it or something less harsh and that would probably help,” said Burke. “But if you’re having continuous drain problems, I would call somebody to come out and look because there’s probably an underlying issue.”
Even though the hot season has begun already, it’s not too late for a maintenance call. If your AC goes out tomorrow, you’ll be stuck with a hot home until a technician becomes available.