Keep your cool with simple A/C maintenance
- Clear leaves, brush and dirt from inside your air conditioner’s top grille.
- Trim nearby shrubs and bushes to allow at least two feet of clearance around the unit.
- Set the thermostat to cooling mode and run your air conditioner a few minutes to make sure it’s working.
- Schedule an annual checkup of your air conditioning system.
- Replace your air conditioner filter once a month. Dirty filters restrict air flow and can waste energy.
- If you use a room air conditioner, install it on a north-facing wall to keep it out of the sun.
- If it’s time to replace your air conditioner, look for an ENERGY STAR® qualified model to help reduce cooling costs up to 20 percent.
Don’t let April showers bring May mildew
- Clear leaves, pine needles and other debris from gutters and downspouts to ensure proper drainage. Check that they’re stable to avoid flying debris during storms.
- Be sure downspouts slope away from your house. They should carry water at least 5' from foundation walls.
- Position lawn sprinklers so they don’t spray your home’s walls.
- Examine window and door seals and weatherstripping. Reseal if needed.
- Move furniture a few inches away from the inside of exterior walls to increase air circulation.
- Check windows for condensation and walls for water stains, which are signs of too much humidity.
- Keep your home’s relative humidity between 30 – 50%. A humidity control system can safely control humidity.
