BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – No one likes a broken air conditioning unit, especially during the hot summers of Louisiana, but there are a few tips folks can do to prevent the unit from breaking down.
Over at Accutemp headquarters in Baton Rouge, they are already training technicians to get ready for the AC summer repairs.
“So, a lot of repairs are equipment failures that could be prevented with a healthy maintenance plan,” explains Joey Hood who is the service manager at Accutemp.
Hood says there are a few tricks, homeowners can do now to keep their AC unit running properly all summer.
“If there is airflow resistance or restriction, it puts a lot of stress on other motors and other components of the system, which leads to premature failure. So, if we can keep good healthy airflow and keeping our outdoor coil clean that is going to help as well,” adds Hood.
So if spring clean is on the list, check the AC unit. Dust and outdoor build-up not only makes the unit dirty but can restrict airflow. Well, the best way to clean it is just to use water.
“Best practices for a homeowner is just to use water and make sure that they are going vertical up and down with their coils instead of from side to side. Using a light gentle wash, so that they are not using high-pressure water causing and bending the coils,” says Hood.
Also, make sure the AC unit is not crowded by overgrown weeds or vegetation because plants can get sucked in.
“If there isn’t a proper airflow because of vegetation and grass when a homeowner is cutting their grass make sure you are diverting the grass away from the outdoor unit and not toward the unit. So, all of the grass build-ups don’t restrict airflow and that the system can breathe properly,” adds Hood.
The pros say surrounding the unit with rocks instead of dirt can also help keep the unit clean. Most importantly, change the air filter once a month, doing just these few steps can make a difference in your home
Some AC companies are still experiencing supply chain issues. If they need to order a part to repair a unit, folks may have to wait a while. So, they are asking homeowners to schedule with them as soon as possible if there is something wrong with their unit.
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