If you are like other homeowners, you had your AC off all through the cold season, but now, since the hot season is about to arrive, you have to bring out the AC to beat off the heat and make your house cozy and comfortable.

To use the AC, you have to prepare it for the hot season.

Part of preparing for the season is servicing the air conditioner. While it’s good to service the air conditioner before the summer season kicks in, it doesn’t come cheap as you have to hire an AC repair services provider to inspect the unit and ensure that everything is running optimally.

Can AC be used without service? You will hear homeowners asking when they want to skip the servicing.

While you can use the AC without servicing it, it’s highly discouraged as it’s synonymous with driving a car that has been sitting for years without even inspecting it. It isn’t safe, is it?

For peace of mind that your unit is functioning efficiently, service it before you get into summer. Part of servicing the appliance includes:

Replace the air filter

Even if you haven’t been using the AC, chances are dirt, and other debris have got into the filter, and using it in its present condition, you will be damaging your air conditioner.

The beauty of replacing the air filter is that you don’t need to hire a professional to help you. Locate the location of the filter, slide the old one out and insert the new one.

As you are inserting the new one, take note of the direction of airflow and the side of the filter that should be facing out.

A great way to tell how to install the air filter is to check the manufacture’s manual.

Wondering which is the best air filter to go for? Well, this depends on your lifestyle. If you have pets or suffering from allergies, go for filters with higher ratings as they will filter air much better.

On the other hand, if you want an air filter to filter the air in your house, a standard unit is enough to give you the clean and fresh air you are looking for.

Clean the air conditioner

Now that you have a new air filter, the next thing you should do is clean the AC to run more efficiently. The best way to go about it is to ensure that all the vents are clean and there are no clogging materials.

You should then check the outdoor unit and ensure there is no mold or algae buildup. If any is present, pour a cup of bleach mixed with water and pour it down the drain of the outside unit.

Besides ensuring that there is no mold or algae built-up in your unit, also ensure that the outdoor unit is on a level surface, there are no debris, leaves, pollen, or twigs clogging it up, the unit has at least 2 feet of clearance around the appliance, and there is enough insulation around the refrigerant lines.

You should note that you should service the outdoor unit without opening it up. If you feel that you can’t clean it properly enough without opening it up, don’t take the risk. Get in touch with an experienced professional.

Check the registers

There is no way your air conditioner will function efficiently if there are materials blocking the registers. Carefully inspect them and remove any materials that might wreak havoc.

While at it, lift the register grates and ensure that nothing has fallen into the vents. Some of the common materials that you can find here include children’s toys, and other materials.

Assess the performance of the AC

After installing a new air filter, cleaning the unit, and inspecting the registers, now it’s time to crank the baby up and see how it purls.

In most cases, the AC will produce a smell, and you shouldn’t worry about it as it’s the AC’s way of clearing out dust that may have settled since the last time you used it. It’s only a matter of time before the smell fades away.

A properly functioning air conditioner should be quiet, so if yours is making strange noises, you have a problem that should be looked at by a professional air conditioner repair services Port Jefferson provider.