5 Easy Ways to Prep Your Air Conditioner for Summer:

1. Change the air filter Filters pick up dust before it gets inside your home. They also prevent your A/C from overworking itself. Low quality air filters have a MERV (Media Efficiency Rating Value) rating less than 8. These inefficient air filters are not able to filter out smaller indoor pollutants like mold spores and pollen. But even a filter with a high MERV rating (8+) won’t help you filter dust if it’s dirty (see image below). That’s why we recommend checking your air filter every month. This will allow you to keep an eye on the filter and change it as needed.

---

2. Clean your outdoor unit of debris The best time to clean your outdoor unit is on a day that’s at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s about the minimum temperature at which you can test your air conditioner to make sure it’s working. Use a hose with a spray nozzle to carefully clean the coils inside the condenser. Next, use a soft brush and a vacuum to clean the coils from the outside and then from the inside of the unit. In most cases, there could be dirt and debris caked in the recesses between the fins, and this can be very stubborn to remove.

---

3. Make sure air vents are open and clear of debris This is a great time to clean your vents, turn off the heat or the air-conditioning unit. Run the crevice tool of a vacuum over the floor and baseboard vents. For those extremely dirty vent covers, detach the vents from the wall and take a warm sponge with soap and scrub the vent covers until they are clean. Let dry, then reattach to the wall.

---

4. Check your air ducts Having a sealed air duct is important! A leaky air duct sucks in dirt and dust, causing you’re A/C to blow dust all over your home. Energystar.gov states that about 20 to 30 percent of a typical home’s duct system is leaky. Reasons to consider cleaning your air ducts

• Family members with allergies or asthma

Scheduling an air duct cleaning can have a positive impact on reducing pollutants and the severity of symptoms.

• Enhanced system performance
• Your home has been renovated or is newly constructed

Having a newly constructed or renovated home is amazing but don’t forget that the residual dust that was flying all over your home has a new place to sit and it’s in your air ducts.

• Moving into a pre-existing home

Sometimes when you move into a new home, it still smells like the pre-existing owners, when this happens it is best to clean out your air ducts.

---

5. Complete a seasonal maintenance with your Local professionals at Campbell & Company If you have any questions don’t hesitate to call us! 509-545-9848, we are here to help!