Did you know that winter can do some serious damage to your air conditioning unit? Central air conditioning units, sometimes referred to as HVAC units, are built tough to withstand the cold, but that doesn’t mean that they’re invincible. Ice, snow, hail, and the cold can each bust up your unit, requiring you to hire air conditioning repair services.
Luckily, you can take preventative steps, and keep your unit in good working order. Here’s what you can do.
- Turn the AC unit’s circuit off. – The first thing you’re going to need to do is to find the air conditioning circuit near your unit. It’s usually got a plastic lid covering it. Open that up and flip the switch. This will keep water out that could potentially freeze and damage your unit, and it’ll prevent your unit from turning on during an unusually warm day.
- Hose it down. – Before it gets too, too cold, get your hose out and wash off all the dirt, debris, grime, filth, bird droppings, dead bugs, and dust. You’re also going to want to make sure you get sticks and branches out of it, too. Then, let it dry.
- Cover exposed pipes. – Get some foam pipe covers and use them to coer the exterior of any exposed piping. Cut it so that it fits the right length and diameter. These will help insulate the pipes, and make sure that they don’t freeze up, which could be an expensive problem. You’re also going to want to duct tape the foam covers in place.
- Cover the actual unit. – You’re also going to want to cover your HVAC unit with a plastic or vinyl cover — something that’s waterproof. You can find covers specifically designed for your air conditioning unit, but really any plastic or vinyl cover will do just fine. It’s also a good idea to get some bungee cords and wrap the cover tightly so it doesn’t blow away.
You’d also be wise to check on your unit about once a week just to make sure that the cover is still secure, and so that you can brush water, snow and ice off of it. Otherwise, you might have to call air conditioning services to come fix it during the spring.
If you have any questions, feel free to share in the comments.