Make Sure Your Air Conditioner Works Before The Heat

With the summer months approaching quickly, many people will be turning on their air conditioner for the first time in 7 or 8 months.

They will start up the unit on a hot and humid day only to find that their air conditioner doesn’t work; no cool air is being produced.

They start to make phone calls.

At Metro Heating & Cooling, we help many people with their air conditioner every month during the summer, but there are a few things everyone can do to avoid this situation and ensure a cool, efficient, economical summer.

Here’s what we recommend

Test your Air Conditioner

On a warm day in May, it’s a good idea to test out the air conditioner.

If you don’t, you may come home to a hot and humid house one day after work.

A house can heat up pretty fast when the weather is right; 90° and sunny, no clouds in the sky.

The first thing you should do to check your air conditioner is to look at the condenser outside and make sure it is uncovered and clear of any debris or leaves that could prevent airflow into the unit.

It’s OK to wash the condenser with a hose, but never use a pressure washer.

Next, check to make sure the breaker is on at the electrical panel, and that a new filter is placed inside the furnace.

Turn your thermostat to the cool position, and wait to see if the unit works properly.

Yearly Maintenance

It is imperative to have a tune-up done on your air conditioner ever year.

A technician from Metro Heating & Cooling will clean and check parts of the A/C to make certain they are running properly, and that the unit is operating at its highest efficiency.

Without doing preventative maintenance on your A/C, you may face costly repairs and more expensive energy bills.

Here are some things a technician will do for your air conditioner’s performance:

Check electrical connections
Check temperature drop and draw
Check refrigerant level
Check fan blade
Check fan belts
Oil motors
Check amp draw
Test and calibrate thermostat
Inspect condensate drain system
Clean air conditioner condenser
Inspect furnace filter
Inspect furnace blower

After a tune-up, the technician will notify you of any parts that need to be replaced, if any. The air conditioner is now ready for summer. Stay cool!