Picture yourself driving home in the middle of July. It’s 88 degrees outside with 100% humidity. You have your AC blasting while you’re chugging an ice cold water bottle to avoid what feels like heat stroke.

You are finally finished fighting traffic and arrive at home. Instead of walking into a what you hoped to be an ice den, you find that your AC unit isn’t working. What do you do? Crash at a friends? Invest in large quantities of ice? I really don’t have the answer for you. Well, you could rush to your phone and call for AC repair, but let’s prevent this situation from ever happening.

If you haven’t used your AC unit during the winter months, there is a good chance it needs some maintenance to get it operating properly for the grueling summer months. Personally, I would recommend hiring a professional to come out and do the proper maintenance, so you can rest assured your unit is ready to go. AC repair in Miami is more important than other parts of the country, so it’s better to be safe than sorry.

If you are the do it yourself type, there are a few things you can do to get your AC unit in tip top shape. Here are 4 tips on fixing up your AC unit for the summer.

1. Clean out the winter

Over the winter months, there is a good chance your unit has collected leaves, trash, or any other vegetation growing in your yard. Having a unit clogged with leaves and such can prevent proper airflow. This is an easy task to take care of and doesn’t require any specific knowledge of AC units.

2. Change or clean air filters

It is important to either clean or replace your air filters periodically throughout the year. If not replaced air filters can cause problems. Air filters collect dust which doesn’t allow for proper airflow and will recirculate the dust into the air pumping into your house.

3. Clean out the AC Condenser

If you are not familiar with your AC condenser, odds are it’s outside your house. It’s the cube looking unit with a fan on top. If this isn’t properly covered by a tarp or some kind of overhang it will collect unwanted seasonal debris. You can remove the protective panels which will allow you to get in and clean the entire unit.

4. Do proper maintenance to your pipe insulation

The suction pipes are outside and should be covered properly by a foam substance. These pipes are paramount in creating cool air. They supply cool refrigerant to the compressor outside. If the pipes are not properly covered they will cause your unit to lose efficiency and not properly cool your house.

These tips can be easily applied to your AC unit, but from experience, I would recommend reaching out to a trained professional. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to Chills. We have trained professionals that are happy to answer any questions.