How to Prepare Your Air Conditioner for Summer

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Woman fanning herself on a hot day because she didn’t know how to prepare your air conditioner for summer

It’s springtime! That means summer is right around the corner. After months of little to no use, your air conditioner might not be prepared to take on the intense heat of Florida summer. Don’t worry. The professionals at Scott’s Heating and Air Conditioning can help. Or, if you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty, you can read through these 6 steps on how to prepare your air conditioner for summer!

1. Change the Air Filters

It’s one of the easiest ways to keep your air conditioner running well, yet most people neglect this step. Dirty air filters are one of the most common causes of AC system inefficiency. The U.S. Department of Energy suggests changing them every month or two. Change your air filter more often if you have pets or residents with asthma or other lung issues.

Scott’s Heating & Air Conditioning has a wide variety of filters and sizes available for purchase.  Or, you can always find air filters online or at home improvement stores. Make sure the air filter you choose works with the make and model of your AC unit!

2. Install a Programmable Thermostat

The summer months can mean high energy bills. Installing a programmable thermostat can be a great way to reduce how much energy you spend. You can program it to use less power while you are away and at night when you’re not fighting the heat of the sun. You can save an estimated 10% to 30% on your energy bill by switching to a programmable thermostat. The professionals at Scott’s Heating & Air Conditioning can help you choose the right programmable thermostat and can also install it for you.

The following steps are a bit more advanced, so break out that tool belt and get ready to get your hands dirty – or just call Scott’s Air!

3. Check Ductwork for Leaks

Sealing leaky ducts leads to massive savings.

This step may require help from air conditioning professionals. However, if you do this yourself, look for disconnected joints, dislocated pieces or small holes. You will want to seal those up before you start heavily using your AC system to reduce your energy costs.

4. Clean the Coils on the Outside Unit

To clean coils, spray the system from the outside with a hose. It only takes a few minutes. If mud or dirt gets caked on, you’ll want to turn off the system, open it up and use a professional-grade cleaner.

5. Clean Around the Unit

It’s important to keep the area around your unit clean and free of debris. Make sure to cut or pull any weeds that may be growing up or around the unit.

If you’re still worried about your AC unit – you’ll need to open it up. Make sure it’s turned off before starting this step. Clean any debris that is inside the unit. If it has a drain, make sure it isn’t clogged. Take time to clean the blades with a rag. If you have any oil ports, spray a little W-D 40. Then close up the unit.

If you are uncomfortable doing this on your own, you can always call the professionals at Scott’s Air.

6. Check the Coolant Lines

The coolant line is a collection of pipes called refrigerant tubes. They connect your evaporator to your condenser on the outside of the house. You may notice insulation tubes covering the pipes.

If any of the pipes look frayed or missing, replace them. You can buy foam insulation sleeves online. To place them on the pipe, cut one side of the sleeve with a utility knife. Then wrap it around the pipes.

Need Assistance? Scott’s Heating and Air Conditioning Is Here to Help!

If you’re still wondering how to prepare your air conditioner for summer, Scott’s Heating and Air Conditioning’s 20-Point AC Tune Up can take care of all your maintenance and summer preparation needs. Our NATE Certified technicians will give your air conditioning system a complete checkup and identify any issues that could cause problems when going into the heavy-use summer months.

If you need help with planned maintenance, installation, or AC repair, call us today.

Need to Tune Up Your AC Unit?

  
 

Scott’s Heating & Air Conditioning is a full-service heating and air conditioning company and a Bryant® Factory Authorized Dealer in Central Florida. Whether you need repair, maintenance, or installation of a new heating or cooling system, we provide efficient, cost-effective, and professional service. When it’s hot, call Scott!

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AC Service Testimonials

Wonderful team of professionals. Everything was first rate, the installers were excellent .
Scott's Heating & Air Conditioning is one of the very best companies that I have ever dealt with. Each and every employee is very knowledgeable, polite, effecient, and responds quickly to each task. The products and prices are reasonable, and quality is excellent. I highly recommend Scott's Heating & Air Conditioning!
Caca B
Caca B
1694554459
Great crew; on time, knowledgeable and professional. Excellent installation of new system.
Linda Baker
Linda Baker
1694146382
Very happy with their work
Eric Garms
Eric Garms
1693329572
Oh my god what an amazing company! I literally called one hour ago and said that my thermostat wasn’t working and there was a knock on my door within the hour! They told us what to do to fix it therefore saving us a $600 bill. They came right away, none of that we can see you in 48 hour junk. Amazing.
V Js
V Js
1693328507
They were able to provide me with same day service, friendly and very responsive. Also, I got 2 other quotes and the pricing was the most competitive.
So thankful and impressed! My dad returned home after having open heart surgery to a completely dead HVAC system in the middle of summer. Definitely not ideal. The repair was going to be pricey so he opted for a new unit. A crew came out on a Saturday and did a very clean and efficient install. Highly recommend this company!!!
Brooke Riley
Brooke Riley
1692362381
Very professional, work very neat and cleaned up and removed stuff. Very impressed with all of the staff and the company.
Our AC decided to quit during one of the hottest heatwaves in years. We called Scott's and someone was at the house to give us a quote in 30 min. From the moment they answered our first phone call through the install everyone was amazing, professional and provided a quality product and excellent service. Craig, Jose, Dexter were awesome! One of the new guys brought us a portable unit at 9:30 PM on a Friday so we could sleep. We missed his name, but shout out to him as well (he likes to give high fives). Thanks Scott and team for everything. We highly recommend!!!
K Harper
K Harper
1692132893
For the past week I've worked with Craig on getting estimates for a new A/C unit, and he has been great at answering my questions and addressing any concerns. Very responsive and knowledgeable, straight shooter and direct! I didn't have to deal with any up-selling like working with a used car salesman (I experienced that with other bigger local A/C companies providing quotes). For these qualities alone I would recommend Scott's A/C, even though I will disclose that we ultimately went with another quote from a family referral of an A/C company. Had that family referral not been apart of our consideration, we would definitely choose and recommend Scott's for new A/C installs and service!
rwoodunder
rwoodunder
1691677447
Dan in sales, outstanding jobgoing over equipment and helping us make what was the best decisions for us on purchasing new a/cinstall, plus scheduling the next day!Boris and Justin were excellent with communications while install and after! very clean, professional taking old out and installing new!ty
T F
T F
1690829348
We can't thank Scott's enough. We came home to a air conditioner barely limping along. I called Scott's first thing in the morning and they had a technician out that day. Unfortunately our system could not be saved. The salesman Craig came out that day as well and quoted a new system. Since it was a Friday we could not get the system installed until Tuesday. Scott's provided us with a portable system which definitely helped during the grueling heat wave in Central Florida. Tuesday came, the installers showed up on time and did an awesome installation job. Cleaned everything up and went on their way. Everyone was pleasant, professional and great to work with! Thank You Scott's Heating & Cooling!
Rodger Marty
Rodger Marty
1689943584
Always happy with their response time. Issue started last night causing our A/C unit to shut down. Made a call to Scott's Heating and Air in the morning and a tech was here by 10:45am. Tyrie, the tech, is awesome. He quickly took care of the problem and had us up and running in no time at all. He is knowledgeable and professional and did a great job.
Perfect company to do business with. Professional and courteous in all phases of project.
Ron Brenton
Ron Brenton
1689684296
Excellent response and service. After 25 years of being serviced by a competitor I decided to change companies. AC was out and in need of replacement. Within 24 hours we had the sales rep here and new unit going in for a reasonable expense. No upselling, phony money savings, or timeshare presentations- just a new system without being targeted and pressured into pricey newer technology that will also become obsolete and non reparable every system cycle. I’m recommending to everyone looking for a new provider
Bill Sumner
Bill Sumner
1688123609
Excellent job getting my new system installed. Friendly and professional staff. Would recommend this company to anyone who needs ac work done.
Michael Imlay
Michael Imlay
1686157131
My a/c went out on a Sunday during a holiday weekend. I called and they had someone out there within a couple of hours to repair it! Great service
Susan
Susan
1685582464
All are very responsive and professional! Great job!
Diane Layton
Diane Layton
1682546738
Scott’s saved the day for us this evening. Our A/C stopped working and it got hot inside quickly, which was more complicated because I’m 36 weeks pregnant. Scott’s was responsive to our call and within two hours someone had come and fixed our unit!
Kaley Gilford
Kaley Gilford
1681601593
20 out of 10 this place is amazing. The techs are always awesome. Super knowledgeable, friendly, polite and quick. They are prompt about appointments and always show up within the time frame. They always keep me cool and I cannot appreciate you guys enough!
Emily Koller
Emily Koller
1680904342
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