How to Prepare Your Air Conditioner for Summer: A Step-by-Step Guide

While you’ve probably already started using your air conditioner by spring, there’s wide gap between the strain produced by the hottest days of spring and the hottest days of summer—are you sure your system is ready for the highest highs of temperature and humidity Tennessee can throw at you?

Don’t risk facing the days when you need your AC most without adequate—and affordable—cooling. Prepare your system for the days ahead with our step-by-step guide.

Is Your AC Ready for Another Tennessee Summer?

High temperatures and humidity together make for quite an intense workout for your air conditioner. It needs to be as efficient as possible to avoid high bills, uncomfortable temperatures, and excessive strain leading to a breakdown and repairs. And since HVAC technicians are busiest during the hottest days of the year, you could end up waiting longer than you’d like if something does go wrong.

That’s why wise homeowners handle maintenance—including hiring a professional for a tune-up–in the spring, right before the hottest time of the year. You’ll want to make sure you or someone follows these steps:

Clean or Replace Air Filter

Good airflow is crucial to the efficiency and overall well-being of your system. It makes sure the cooled air is properly distributed and that moisture can’t accumulate and freeze on your coils. To maintain good airflow, then, we need to make sure our filters are cleaned or replaced as dictated by the design of your system. A clean filter alone can mean a difference of 15% on your energy bills in some cases.

Inspect & Clean Your Outdoor Unit

The outdoor unit of your air conditioner is where it vents off the heat it removes from the air it blows through your ducts. If the fan can’t spin properly or anything obstructs airflow around it, then the refrigerant can’t cool back down and thus can’t pick up more heat. Remove leaves, sticks, and other debris from your outdoor unit and look for any other signs of trouble.

Check & Clean Air Vents & Ducts

If your ducts are full of dust and other debris, then your entire system needs to work harder to cool your home—and if you have cracks or gaps, you’re wasting appalling amounts of energy cooling the wrong places in your home while others are left warm. Visual inspection is useful, and you might be able to handle a lot of work with a brush and vacuum, but for more complex or subtle issues only a professional can help.

Check the Refrigerant Levels 

In an AC, heat is forced into refrigerant at your interior unit, leaving cold air that can be blown through your ducts. That heated refrigerant then goes outside and releases that heat before returning for another load. That’s why any leak in your refrigerant line can dramatically decrease the efficiency and efficacy of your air conditioner. This is a job for a professional. If necessary, they can replace what’s missing.

Run a System Test 

You’ll want to turn your system on once and make sure it’s working as intended at least once before it gets really hot, though in Tennessee it’s rare to reach summer without using the air conditioner unless you have a high tolerance for heat. Test your thermostat, make sure you’re getting cool air from every duct, and pay attention for anything unusual—if you notice any strange sounds, leaks, or uneven cooling, call a professional for repair.

Schedule An AC Tune-Up Before Summer

Spring is the ideal time for an AC tune-up, though you might want to schedule at the tail end of winter if you make heavy use of your system during the spring. This makes sure your system is as reliable and energy efficient as possible under the heaviest load of the year, minimizing your energy bills and preventing a breakdown on a hot day.

Call Parker’s For Summer AC Prep Today

Need professional attention for an air conditioner before the summer hits? Parker’s Heating & Cooling has served clients in the Murfreesboro area since 1992, and we’ll gladly offer you the same excellence and quality we’re delivered to countless customers over more than 30 years of service.

Contact Parker’s today to schedule a summer AC prep visit for a home in or near Murfreesboro, TN.