We’ve had a fairly mild winter here in Florida this year. You probably haven’t had much chance to use your A/C or your heater. While that makes for enjoyable heating and cooling bills, it also means your A/C has probably gone a long while without being looked at. When you live in an area like Florida, all sorts of things can wind up in something outside that hasn’t been used.
Here are some of the top things we see when we come out to service equipment after long periods of non-use.
Lizards, Geckos, Anoles, Oh My!
Call them what you want but those cute little lizards love A/C units. Sometimes they make their homes in there. Sometimes they choose to die in them. Either way, you find an awful lot of them in A/Cs. Even something as small as these creatures can keep your unit from running at its most efficient level so a good cleaning and inspection is always a sound idea after months of not using it.
Fido’s Favorite
If your dog and your A/C inhabit the same space, your system’s coils could be worse for the wear. Dog urine sprayed in the same spot, with little rain to dilute it, can become quite corrosive. We’ve seen it eat away refrigerant coils. This corrosion causes your coils to leak. The refrigerant is what cools your home so if it’s leaking out, you’ll need to call an A/C professional.
Building a fence, using odor sprays, or planting bushes to block the area are all effective ways of keeping Fido away from your air conditioner. But note that planting bushes should be done as a blockade, not a frame right up against the unit. These bushes should be trimmed back to allow for at least 4 inches of room between the plants and the unit at all times.
Dust
If you change your filter religiously, your system is free from dust, right? Not exactly. There are many areas of the system that can become clogged with dust and other airborne items that can slow down your A/C and make it work much harder than it should. A good service technician will not only check your system but clean it as well, ensuring it is functioning at maximum capacity.
In addition to dust, we frequently find lint from clothes dryers. If the dryer vent and A/C’s condenser coils are near one another it’s not unusual to see this sort of clogging. Clogged A/Cs do not perform well and will increase your electric bill and decrease the life of the unit.
Storage
We see a lot of people use their condenser as a place to store things. They lean up beach chairs, bikes, sometimes they even build decks on top of them. Your condenser needs good airflow. If you have a lot of junk, weeds, or plants around it you’re not experiencing maximum performance. Do yourself a favor and clear the area surrounding the unit.
If you’re wondering what could be in your A/C after a long period of non-use, call the heating and A/C repair professionals at heating professionals Easy A/C today, 813-COLDAIR. We’ll ensure your system is serviced and operating at its most efficient level for greater cost savings.