Preparing Your Window Unit for the Summer
Have you ever had the misfortune of sitting in a house or building that doesn’t have an operating air conditioner in the middle of summer? Has your air conditioner ever gone out in your home at the peak of a sunny afternoon? If so, you know the importance of maintaining an air conditioning unit. If not, just imagine sitting in a sauna, without the steam… yeah, it’s no fun! While window unit air conditioners aren’t as popular as they once were, there are still plenty of them around. This article will help you prepare your window unit air conditioner for the spring and summer months.
You should replace the unit’s filter every spring, even if it doesn’t look like it needs to be replaced. Many times, the most damaging effects the filter can cause are from things that cannot be seen by the naked eye.
Unless you are as big of a clean-freak as I am you have probably never wiped down your entire unit. It’s important to clean the entire exterior of the unit. Clean the outer part of the frame. Clean the inside edges of the unit. Get in the vents and wipe down the outside of the air-conditioner. The more thorough that you are with this job, the cleaner the air you are going to get pushed into your home.
Just because your air conditioner hasn’t been running all winter doesn’t mean the vents and the rest of the exterior hasn’t accumulated dust, dirt and other outside debris. There will be more debris then you think caked into the crevices of the air conditioner. Take a damp rag and wipe it down entirely. You also want to be sure to take the time to clean away anything that could become a hindrance to your unit as the months pass. Make sure you keep the grass and weeds low and don’t stockpile any junk along the wall near the unit.
Keeping your window unit running properly is not difficult as long as you keep it well maintained, which is not much work. Central air definitely has it’s perks, but nothing cools a room faster than a window air unit. If you’re having problems with your unit or are thinking about switching to central air, we have several contractors in our directory that are eager to help!
