Your air conditioner works hard during the hot and humid St Louis, MO summertime. Even when the heat index soars to dangerous levels and the air quality turns red, your cooling system hums happily. It keeps your interior temperature consistent with a preprogrammed thermostat and your indoor air clean with a pleated filter. Consider these steps to give your air conditioner a winter vacation. It will come back relaxed and refreshed to work hard again next summer.
Important Steps to Prepare Your Air Conditioning System for Winter
- Protect the Outdoor Unit of Your Air Conditioner – Perhaps the most recognizable, and audible, component of your cooling system is the outdoor condensing unit containing a condenser, compressor, and refrigerant lines. The outdoor condenser works in tandem with the indoor evaporator coils, fan, and ductwork. However, it’s most susceptible to damage in the winter due to exposure to the elements. A waterproof cover or hardtop shelter protects the condenser from snow, falling ice, and debris.
- Disconnect Power to Your Air Conditioner – Besides just switching to OFF or HEAT on your thermostat control panel, perform a hard disconnect of power to your air conditioner. Flip its breaker off on your main electrical panel or remove the pullout fuse beside the unit outside your home. A complete disconnect saves a small amount of electricity and protects you from errors at the thermostat.
For example, you’ll avoid entering cooling mode when programming your heating cycle. “Accidentally turning on your air conditioner charges it with water, which freezes when the temperature is low enough, and causes condenser damage,” cautions a St Louis heating and cooling expert from Hoffmann Brothers.
- Reflect on Performance of Your Air Conditioner – You don’t need to journal daily over the summer, keeping an air conditioner scientific log or a series of dear diary entries. Instead, consider noting any issues at the end of the cooling season to refresh your memory at your spring preventative maintenance visit. Symptoms diagnose disease and help a doctor to treat your case, or a qualified HVAC contractor to condition your home.
- Review an online report of your summer utility bills helps you track changes in efficiency. If a repair or replacement is warranted for next season, you have time to window shop for a competitive price, an experienced installation company, and a comprehensive warranty.
Call Hoffmann Brothers at (314) 664-3011 for any questions about winterizing your air conditioning unit. Our qualified technicians can tune-up your heating system and prepare your cooling system for hibernation in one simple visit.