Your air conditioner put in a lot of hours this summer. Through hot afternoons, humid nights, and stretches when it seemed like the system barely got a break, it kept working behind the scenes to keep your home comfortable. Now, cooler New England weather is starting to work its way into the forecast. Before long, you’ll switch the thermostat from cooling to heating and probably won’t think much about your AC again until next spring. But before you call cooling season finished, give your system a little attention. You don’t need to completely “winterize” a central air conditioner. A few simple end-of-season steps, however, can help you leave the equipment in good shape and address any problems you noticed while they’re still fresh in your mind.
Start With the Most Important Question: How Did Your AC Perform?
Before cleaning anything or changing thermostat settings, think back over the past few months. How did your system actually do? Did it keep your home consistently comfortable? Were there rooms that always seemed warmer than the rest? Did the AC run much longer than you remember from previous summers?
Think about anything unusual you noticed, including:
- Weak airflow
- Uneven temperatures
- Unusual sounds
- Frequent cycling
- Higher-than-expected energy use
- Difficulty keeping up on hotter days
- Excess humidity inside the home
- Repairs or service calls during the season
These details are easy to forget after several months of not using the AC. If something seemed off this summer, write it down or have it evaluated now. Otherwise, there’s a good chance you’ll rediscover the same problem on the first hot day next year.
Check Your Air Filter
After months of cooling, your HVAC filter deserves a look. Filters collect dust, pet hair, pollen, and other airborne particles as air moves through the system. When a filter becomes too dirty, it can restrict airflow and make it harder for your HVAC equipment to operate properly. How often a filter needs to be changed depends on the type of filter, your equipment, household conditions, and other factors. Don’t assume it’s fine because you changed it earlier in the summer. Pull it out and take a look. If it’s dirty and ready for replacement, starting the next season with a clean filter is an easy task to cross off your list. And if you already know which replacement filter your system requires, Maffei Services offers HVAC filters that can be ordered directly through our website.
Give the Outdoor Unit Some Breathing Room
Your outdoor AC unit has spent the summer exposed to everything happening around your house. Grass clippings, weeds, leaves, twigs, and other debris can collect around it. By early fall, falling leaves can add even more. Take a walk around the unit and look at the surrounding area. Remove loose debris and trim back vegetation that has grown too close so the equipment isn’t crowded. Be gentle around the unit itself. The exterior components can be damaged if they’re bent or handled improperly. More involved cleaning is better left to an HVAC professional. This is also a good opportunity to look for anything obviously unusual, such as physical damage or signs that the unit shifted during the season.
Should You Cover Your Outdoor AC Unit?
It seems logical. Winter is coming, so why not wrap the outdoor air conditioner tightly and protect it from snow and ice? In most cases, that’s unnecessary. Outdoor HVAC equipment is built to withstand the weather. Completely wrapping a central AC condenser can trap moisture and reduce airflow around the equipment. A tightly covered space may also make an appealing shelter for small animals.
If your particular equipment manufacturer recommends a cover or you want protection from falling debris, follow the manufacturer’s guidance and use an appropriate solution rather than sealing the entire unit inside an improvised cover. The goal is to protect the equipment, not accidentally create a damp hiding place around it.
Don’t Forget About the Condensate Drain
Your AC doesn’t only cool the air. During cooling operation, it also removes moisture. That moisture needs somewhere to go. Over the course of the season, algae, dirt, or other buildup can develop in parts of the condensate drainage system. A drainage problem can eventually lead to water where you don’t want it. Take a quick look around the indoor HVAC equipment for unexplained moisture or staining. If you’ve noticed water around the system during the summer, repeated drain problems, or other signs that condensate isn’t draining properly, have the issue checked rather than waiting until next cooling season.
Resist the Urge to Ignore That Strange Noise
Maybe your AC developed a rattle in August. It still cooled the house, so you decided to let it ride until fall. Now it’s fall. This is a good time to deal with those little concerns you promised yourself you’d address later. A strange noise doesn’t automatically indicate a major repair. Neither does a slightly warmer bedroom or an occasional longer cooling cycle. But changes in how your system sounds or performs can indicate that something needs attention. Having those concerns evaluated now can give you a clearer idea of what the system may need before you’re depending on it again.
Think About the Age of the System
An AC system making it through another summer doesn’t necessarily mean it has many summers left. If your equipment is getting older, has required increasingly frequent repairs, or struggled to maintain comfort this year, the end of cooling season gives you a useful opportunity to think ahead. There’s no emergency. The house isn’t 85 degrees. You’re not trying to make a replacement decision because the AC stopped working in the middle of a hot afternoon. You have time to explore your options. That could mean planning another year of maintenance, making a repair, replacing an aging air conditioner, or looking at a heat pump that can provide both cooling and heating. Even if you aren’t ready to make a change, knowing your options can make future decisions much easier.
Switch Seasons With Your Thermostat
As outdoor temperatures fall, there may be a stretch when you don’t need much heating or cooling at all. Take advantage of it. If you use a programmable or smart thermostat, review your schedule before heating season begins. The temperatures and schedules that worked during summer probably won’t make sense once cooler weather arrives. This is also a good time to check thermostat batteries if your model uses them and make sure you’re familiar with the heating settings before the first genuinely cold morning.
Don’t Forget That Heating Season Is Next
Closing out AC season is only half of the seasonal changeover. Your heating system is about to take over. If you haven’t scheduled heating maintenance yet, early fall is a natural time to do it. Your furnace, boiler, or heat pump has likely spent months with little or no heating demand. A professional heating check can help identify concerns before you begin relying on the equipment every day. The transition between cooling and heating seasons gives you a convenient opportunity to look at the HVAC system as a whole rather than treating summer and winter comfort as completely separate concerns.
Give Your AC a Proper Send-Off
Your air conditioner doesn’t need a big end-of-summer ceremony. It does deserve a few minutes of attention before you forget about it for the next several months. Check the filter. Clear away outdoor debris. Think about how the system performed. Don’t tightly wrap the condenser for winter. And most importantly, don’t forget about problems simply because you don’t need cooling right now.
Maffei Services can help evaluate concerns that came up during cooling season and get your home’s HVAC equipment ready for what comes next. We serve homeowners throughout the North Shore, Merrimack Valley, Southern New Hampshire, and surrounding areas. Your AC may be finished working for now. Making note of how it finished the season can help you start the next one on much better footing.
