The cooling season runs long in South Texas, but the official beginning of Winter arrives soon and for a few months the focus will be on keeping warm. For a season, warm weather items will be stored and sometimes these items need to be winterized: a pool or a boat for example. Here are some ways you might prepare your air conditioner for months of inactivity and make sure it is ready when warm weather returns.
Things You Can Do
Take a look at the outdoor condenser unit and make sure it is free from leave litter and blown debris. These can turn into obstacles in the Spring when you re-engage the air conditioner.
Make sure debris has not fallen inside the condenser as well.
Be careful. If you have a heat pump system, the outdoor unit may still be used by the heating system.
Time to Make Sure it is Ready
If your air conditioner needs repairs before the next cooling season, now is an excellent time to schedule those repairs.
For the next few months, you will have little need for your air conditioner, so what better time to have it repaired. It beats trying to schedule repairs when the heat and humidity seem unbearable.
Service and repair now will make sure it is ready for Spring and Summer.
The service demand for AC repair is very light at this time of year.
AC Care: 4 Indications Repairs Are Needed
New noises. Your home has a familiar rhythm and sounds are associated with that rhythm. When you notice a sound emanating from your air conditioner that interrupts that familiar flow, consider this an alarm that something is not right. Important sounds to listen for include humming or buzzing, indicating an electrical problem, or hissing or whistling noise, indicating a refrigerant leak or damage to the ductwork. Often, a noise will precede one of the following problems.
Cooling Issues. If the air conditioning system is pushing adequate air throughout the house, but the air is not very cool, let’s address that now. This could indicate a refrigerant leak, a worn or failing component, or a major duct leak. Letting these issues slide potentially leads to catastrophic failures, i.e., a refrigerant leak can lead to component failure. A loss in cooling is a symptom of other problems, and the problem will not fix itself. It is time to address the problem.
Inadequate airflow. If the air is plenty cool, but there is not enough force behind the air to cool the space, it might indicate a simple thing like obstructed vents or registers, or more a complex issue like the blower motor losing power. No matter the cause, inadequate airflow can cause the refrigerant coils to freeze and lead to component failure. It might also indicate major damage to your ductwork. All of that expensive cool air might end up in the attic or outdoors and not inside where you want it to keep you cool and comfortable.
Short-Cycling. Your air conditioner needs to run for approximately 15 minutes at a time in order to both cool the space and remove humidity from the air. If the system cycles on and off rapidly, without running long, it usually indicates a problem that needs to be repaired.
