Clean filters, unit to makesure AC works in summer heat

By Kristyne E. Demske
C & G Staff Writer

With cool spring breezes blowing through the air, the air conditioning unit might be the furthest thing from homeowners’ minds — something they won’t think about till the 90-degree heat of July and August hits.

But that’s a problem, say heating and cooling experts in the area.

“Yearly maintenance, whether it’s your furnace or air conditioner, should be an automatic,” said Adam Fitzgerald, owner of AAC Services of American Air Control in Madison Heights. “We can hear when something’s starting to fail. We can catch when something’s low on Freon, so you don’t have to be without air conditioning.”

Dayna Corrion, a sales coordinator with C&C Heating & Air Conditioning in Roseville, agreed that waiting for a summer heat wave to call for service is not a good idea.

“Just turning it on and checking it before the hot weather hits” is something homeowners ought to do, she said. “If you check it before (the weather) is actually really hot, then you can usually get (a service call) earlier.”

Most heating and cooling companies offer a professional maintenance check that costs anywhere from about $70 on up.

But there are things homeowners can do themselves to make sure their air conditioning will be there in the heat of summer for years to come.

The most important tip for homeowners is to make sure the air filter on the unit is changed for the springtime. The filter isn’t only meant for the wintertime, which is what many people think, Fitzgerald said, adding that a cheap filter will do just as good, if not a better, job than an expensive filter because it will let the air pass through less hindered.

Ciaran Marron of Multi-Phase Contracting in Clinton Township said residents also need to go outdoors and look at the actual unit before turning it on.

“They would need to visually look outside at the air conditioning unit and make sure that the coil is not packed with dirt,” he said. “If they are, they should probably have that professionally cleaned if they don’t feel confident to clean that themselves.”

Fitzgerald said the units are fairly easy to clean with a hose, though.

“The No. 1 thing is, if it was covered, you’ve got to take off the covering,” he said. Then hose the unit off downward to get it clean. “The condenser, it gets grass clippings, all that pollen and ragweed — you have to get that off for efficiency.”

Corrion said residents should also check to make sure the pipes on the condenser don’t have frost on them, which could indicate a problem, as well as clear any vegetation growing around the condensing unit.

“Air conditioners don’t last as long as furnaces because they are outside and they see the elements more,” she said. “They get more wear and tear.”

She said most units will last from 13-18 years.

Fitzgerald said homeowners can also check the humidifier to make sure the bypass is turned off. That’s the pipe that goes from the return air to the supply site.

“Professionals would do that if they (homeowners) don’t know how,” he said, adding that, “we can explain that on the phone. I’d be happy to walk them through it.”

He also recommends adding a digital thermostat, which can be bought cheaply at most home improvement stores, if the home doesn’t have one.

“It’s one of the cheapest money-saving features they have now,” Fitzgerald said.

He said some homeowners just turn off the air conditioning when they’re not home, but that’s not a good idea. Setting a digital thermostat to a higher temperature during the day and then dipping it down when the residents are home saves the unit from having to work much harder to get rid of the humidity that builds up during a day without air conditioning.

“To remove the humidity out of your home takes a full 24 hours,” he said.

Marron also recommends homeowners have their duct system cleaned, as well, if it hasn’t been done in the past few years.

“It should be cleaned every three to five years,” he said. “If there’s any dirt in there, it causes turbulence and slows down the air flow.”

AAC Services of American Air Control is located in Madison Heights. Call (248) 399-9111 for more information.

C&C Heating & Air Conditioning is located at 29420 Groesbeck Hwy. in Roseville. For more information, call (800) 893-2635.

Multi-Phase Contracting is located at 26100 Harper Ave. in Clinton Township. Call (586) 463-9266 for more information.

You can reach C & G Staff Writer Kristyne E. Demske at kdemske@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1041.