With cooler weather approaching it may be time to look into AC service in the Jacksonville, FL area. It’s important to service and winterize your AC unit each year before it gets chilly out in order to keep it safe for the following year. When temperatures reach the lowest of the season you don’t want to have residual moisture inside your AC unit that could potentially freeze and thaw over the course of the winter. This could cause a lot of internal damage, and come spring, you may find yourself facing some costly repairs or even replacement. These steps can assist you with properly winterizing your AC unit this year, and hiring an AC service in Jacksonville, FL will allow a professional to help you with this process.
1. Power Down
Power should be turned off to your AC unit. An exterior circuit box is usually the location for this and the circuit simply needs to be removed and reinserted upside down. You do this as a homeowner so that the AC unit cannot be turned on at any point during the winter months. Only when you reverse this process again in the spring, will you be able to turn on your air conditioning unit.
2. Clean Up
Make sure the area around your AC unit is free from any leaves, weeds, or other garbage that could accumulate around or underneath it. Not only do you want proper air flow around the unit but you want to make sure there isn’t debris that could blow into the AC unit when the winter winds pick up or during a storm.
3. Inspect For Damage
The outside of your AC unit should be inspected to make sure there isn’t any visible damage. If there is, it should be repaired before the temperatures become cooler. Even tiny cracks in the unit could allow unneeded moisture into the unit and after many months of not using it, this could cause a lot of damage. It’s important to have a reputable service repair company take a look at your unit inside and out to make sure there aren’t any pre-winter repairs that need to be completed.
4. Cover Your Unit
A professional AC service company in Jacksonville, FL will help you properly cover your AC unit. These covers can usually be purchased at local hardware stores and you can do this job yourself each year. These covers are designed to protect your unit from low, overnight temperatures, wind, and moisture when not in use.
5. Routine Inspection
Additionally, it’s important to have a routine inspection of not only your AC unit, but your furnace as well. Professionals usually have a list of items they look at internally and outside of the unit to make sure everything is in working order and nothing minor needs to be replaced or repaired.
Over the course of the chilly season, you should periodically take a peek at your AC unit to make sure there aren’t any issues. Check to make sure the cover hasn’t become damaged or loose, there isn’t any debris accumulating around or under the unit and make sure there isn’t any water accumulating on top of the unit.
Taking a little time in the fall each year can prevent you from encountering costly repairs in the spring. Keep in mind, when the weather heats up again in the summer and you realize your AC unit isn’t working properly, an emergency repair call can be a very expensive ordeal.
