The weather in Atlanta is always hard to predict, but the one thing you can be assured of is hot, steamy summer days with many days in the high or mid 90’s. One must make sure their air conditioning unit is ready for the intense heat before summer arrives and there are some simple things anyone can do to help make sure they stay cool this summer.  Our top Air Conditioning tips for summer are as followed...  

Replace Your Air Filter

The first thing one should do is often overlooked and neglected and it is to simply replace the air filter and check for any excessive dust build up in the blower compartment of the furnace. Some units have to have the top and bottom doors removed to change the filter and other systems have an external filter rack or holder on the outside of the system. Make sure you put the correct size filter in your furnace and do not bend or fold an incorrect size as this will cause dust to bypass the filter and clog the cooling coil and blower wheel. Look at the blower wheel of your furnace and if you see dust build, call your HVAC company to clean it thoroughly. Never remove your filter and run your furnace without a filter. Many people do this and with plans to get another filter, but forget and end up severely damaging their machine. Check the blower area of your furnace for any loose paperwork or debris that might have got drawn into the unit and remove any if located. One should inspect the intake or return grills and make sure none are blocked with furniture or rugs and make sure dust has not built up on the grill to the point of restricting the ability of the unit to get the proper amount of air. It is a good idea to vacuum the grills every other year to remove this dust build up and reduce the need for possible duct cleaning. The system has to be off before you clean the grills to stop any dirt from being drawn into the system. All furniture should be pulled back away from the intakes to keep the upholstery from being drawn into the system and restricting air flow.

Inspect Your Outdoor Unit

One should always check their outdoor unit and make sure no plants or bushes are blocking the top or the side of their unit. All bushes and trees should be cut back at least three feet so a good steady supply of air can be drawn into the unit. You should look down into the unit and make sure no sticks or limbs have fallen in the unit and you should check for leaves and grass clippings. If you find debris in the interior of the unit, do not simply take a garden hose to the unit in an attempt to clean the system as this will many times push the material farther into the cooling coil. The top or side of the unit has to be removed to properly clean out this build up and you should make sure the breaker or disconnect is turned off or removed to prevent accidental injury. Red clay build up on the bottom of an a/c unit is one of the biggest causes of an air conditioner not cooling well and all this mud should be thoroughly washed off before the unit is run. One should wash this out from the inside of the unit and not push the dirt back in the coil further.

By performing these few simply steps, one can make sure their air conditioner is ready to take on the summer heat in the south.  Dan Jape, Reliable Heating & Air. Visit on the web at www.reliableair.com