Time To Shut Down The Cold: When Air Conditioning Season Is Definitely Over

Air conditioning for most people is a hot weather sort of thing. When the last days of autumn finally turn chilly enough that you need the furnace on all the time, it is time to shut down the air conditioner for the season. Here is how to close it down and prep it for late next spring when warm temperatures return, and you are trying to avoid sweating while standing still.

Clean It

Air conditioning systems collect an enormous amount of dust, dirt, leaves, grass clippings, and seed pods when the leaves start falling. All of this should be cleaned off of and out of your air conditioner. A simple wipe down with a wet cloth will suffice unless you run into something more stubborn. Then you should use a little ammonia, which will not harm the exterior or interior components of the outdoor part of your system. 

Box It

If you do not have a plastic cover that goes over the condenser box, go buy one. If you do not want to spend the money, or you have the plastic cover, but it is a little damaged, wrap the whole unit in a big tarp. Then stretch bungee cords around the tarped box and hook the bungee cord ends together to make the tarp nice and tight. Now the outdoor components will be protected all winter.

Re-fuse It

There is an outside fuse box for air conditioning systems to help boost power to the system and reduce the power drain and strain on your home's electricity. Open this fuse box, take out the fuses, and replace them every couple of years. You can buy these fuses from any hardware and home improvement store. By replacing the fuses regularly, you ensure that the unit will be fully ready to go next season.

Hire an HVAC Technician for Everything Else

Hire an HVAC technician to tune up the entire system so that he/she can find anything that might be wrong with it now and fix it now. It alleviates the hassle of trying to fix it next summer. It also prevents your system from shutting down when you need it the most. The technician will tune up and check all the wiring, hoses, and refrigerant levels as well as check for leaks. These air conditioning maintenance services all fall under the usual and annual services provided by your local HVAC technician.

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