Spring Time Air Conditioner Repair - 4 Things You Can Do Yourself

Clean Your Filters

In order to prevent needing air conditioner repair, make sure your filters are clean and change them if necessary. You should do this more than once a year, but it's just a natural fact that many people don't. Dirty or damaged filters will prevent the complete flow from getting to the vents, but even worse, they can actually cause damage to your home's central unit. This can cost you serious money in the future when you have to get more than just the filters replaced. Because of this, put checking the filters on your springtime list of things to do, and replace them if necessary.

Check Your Outside Unit

If you have an outside unit, you can do a bit of air conditioner repair and maintenance yourself by clearing the area around it of debris. Often, shrubs and plants that grow in spring crowd out the unit and this prevents it from getting what it needs to cool down the house. We also often forget and use the AC unit as a piece of furniture, even though this is strongly discouraged by your AC repair professionals! If your outside unit has anything crowding it, clear it all up before summer starts. It will work much better with some room to breathe.

Inspect Your Fins

If the fins inside the unit are damaged, this will require a tiny bit of air conditioner repair. The cooling fins are located next to the cooling coils. There is usually a door on your unit somewhere that you can open to get access to them. These should all be straight and there shouldn't be debris around them. You'll be able to clearly see it if one is bent or damaged. You should also pry them apart with a spatula or other utensil to check deeper down. If you find damaged fins, this is a relatively simple operation and it will make your AC work much better.

Duct Inspection And Cleaning

An important bit of air conditioner repair and maintenance is to do your springtime duct inspection and cleaning. In most parts of the country, the winter is a season full of dry, dusty weather. This dust collects in your AC's ducts, and from there it can be spread throughout the house. It not only reduces the air quality of your home, but also prevents your AC from working the way it should be. This means that it will cost more to keep your home cool and it will also waste a lot of energy.

Another problem with ducts is that often small critters make their winter homes in them. The first time you turn on your AC in the early summer, you might notice an unpleasant smell coming from your vents. This smell is a mixture of the smell of the animal itself and all of its accumulated winter waste. This is not something you want to be smelling all summer. In order not to be surprised by any nasty smells, it's important to have those ducts looked at thoroughly before the weather gets hot.

If there are any air conditioner repair issues that are out of your hands, give your local professionals a call.