Last night, I was watching my favorite show on TV and saw a “Back to School” commercial featuring children gleefully walking through the front doors of their school on the first day back. The kids are outfitted in long-sleeved shirts, pants, and booties. The cameras pan out, revealing a beautiful autumn landscape of trees in spectacular hues of gold, red, and orange, so welcomed after the blistering temperatures of summer. I could almost smell falling leaves and feel a crisp breeze on my face.
Wait a minute, I thought. Who’s kidding whom? It’s still sweltering! In reality, these kids are sporting shorts, t-shirts, and flip-flops, and being dragged through the front door of their school by their sweaty, red-faced parents. Take it from the Coop: It’s hot outside — and your air conditioner is still your best friend, working night and day to keep you cool.
Don’t be fooled: Commercials might be selling you images of downy fall jackets and nights by the fire, but the weather report confirms that you still need your AC badly. Here are a few things you’ll want to do throughout the next couple of months to ensure your AC maintains peak performance:
- Check your air filter! Why? Well, according to WebMD, ragweed is the biggest cause of allergies in the fall. Ragweed usually starts to release pollen during August, often lasting into September and October. A fresh air filter will help filter out these contaminants and make allergy sufferers feel better. Continue to replace or clean it, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, throughout the entire AC season. And don’t forget, it’s never too late to install high quality air filtration and purification equipment in your HVAC system! This will help filter out pollen, mold, animal dander and other pollutants we get all-too-frequently in the Bucks County area all year long.
- Take a look at your outdoor condensing unit. Usually, it’s situated out of sight so it’s easy to forget. We’ve experienced an abundance of rain this summer, so the resulting lush foliage might be hiding it even more than usual. Get out there and trim any shrubs, trees or weeds that have grown too close to your equipment before they affect the operation of your condenser.
- Make sure your vents are dust-free – a lightly dampened rag will do the trick. Also, double-check that your vents are unobstructed by rugs or furniture that you may have rearranged or added over the last few months.
- At this point in the season, your equipment has been working around the clock to keep you comfortable. It’s a good idea to visually inspect your indoor equipment for signs of water on or surrounding your equipment. Your air conditioner usually drains about 10 gallons of moisture in a 24 hour period, so if you get a clog in your condensate drain, for example, the result could be very damaging to your home – particularly if you don’t notice it right away.
- Lastly, if your air conditioning equipment is not maintaining a cool enough temperature, your energy bill is higher than it used to be, or your AC is getting old (10+ years), do yourself a favor and call in a professional heating and cooling company, who will assess your equipment and suggest how to improve its operation, or tell you why it may be time for a replacement AC unit. If you live in Bucks County or the surrounding areas, Cooper Mechanical is your go-to for air conditioning inspection.
Most important, pay attention to your air conditioner and it will thank you with comfortable, cool air all season long!
Have a question about your HVAC system? The Coop’s seen it all, and Cooper Mechanical is ready to help with all your HVAC and plumbing needs. Get in touch at 610-228-4405 or schedule an appointment online.
