Cooling Your Summer

Spring is here and summer is on its way. In the hot summer heat, air conditioners definitely get put to good use. Air conditioners are lifesavers, but can turn into disasters quickly if you don’t know how to take care of them. Both air conditioners and swamp coolers are known to create extensive water damage if they are not working properly. Here are some spring cleaning tips and basic maintenance tips to keep your air conditioners and swamp coolers in tip-top shape for the summer heat.

Air Conditioners

Spring Cleaning

Regular maintenance and cleaning is very important when it comes to air conditioners. So, before you turn on the cool air, here are some cleaning tips.

Air Conditioner Maintenance

Your air conditioner will last much longer and you?ll get more out of it if you maintain it well. Here are some simple tips for air conditioner maintenance.

• Set thermostat to cooling mode.
• Routinely change or clean filters.
• Buy a ?fin comb? to comb coil fins: The aluminum fins on the evaporator and condenser coils can get bent by wear and tear.
• Check coils every so often to make sure they are free from dirt and debris.
• Occasionally pass a stiff wire through the unit’s drain channels. Clogged drain channels prevent a unit from reducing humidity, and the resulting excess moisture may discolor walls or carpet.

Swamp Coolers

Spring Cleaning

Just like air conditioners, swamp coolers should be checked and cleaned before you use them.

• Clean out the debris in the water pan.
• Check the motor’s fan belt tension.
• Install new cooler pads.
• Reconnect the water line and turn on the water supply.
• Check the float valve.
• Make sure the cooler pads are being evenly saturated with water.
• Look for split seams in the casement or rusted areas in the tray.

Cooler Operation

While operating your cooler, here are some simple things you can do to make sure you cooler lasts longer and works more efficiently.

• Delay turning it on until the outside temperature reaches 85 degrees: You?ll use 50% less water.
• Turn on the water pump a few minutes before turning on the fan: This makes your cooler more efficient by saturating the pads first.
• Crack a window: This draws cool air through the house.
• Use ceiling fans to circulate the air.
• Operate your cooler fan without the water pump in the evenings.
• Install a thermostat: This will help you be more water-wise and energy-wise.

Hiring a Technician

As with anything, when in doubt, hire a professional. Here is a list of things a technician should do when checking your air conditioning system.

• Check refrigerant to see if it’s the correct amount.
• Use a leak detector to see if the refrigerant leaks.
• Take ?old? refrigerant and dispose of it properly rather than illegally releasing it to the environment.
• Check for leakage and seal duct leakage in central systems.
• Measure airflow through the evaporator coil.
• Verify the correct electric control sequence and make sure that the heating system and cooling system cannot operate simultaneously.
• Inspect electric terminals, clean and tighten connections, and apply a non-conductive coating if necessary.
• Oil motors and check belts for tightness and wear.
• Check the accuracy of the thermostat.

Alert’s team is trained and certified to handle everything from flooding to sewage cleanup. Our emergency services team understands the importance of acting fast to water damage and flood to eliminate any future mold growth. Alert is always prepared to respond to your water damage emergency and to quickly restore your home or business to its pre water loss condition.

Call us at: 1 (877) 435-8117.