Prepare your air conditioner before the real heat hits.

Spring can be a fairly crazy time for a homeowner in Fort Wayne, Indiana, but dont forget to add the annual air conditioner check-up to the to-do list of maintenance chores. Its common for us to wait until the first real heat wave to turn on air conditioning unit, and more times than not, an unpleasant surprise awaits those who wait too long. It makes sense that local air conditioning contractors are most busy during the hottest months of the year, so it is best to get your unit checked before the big rush. Try timing your service call between the months of March and May.

Before contacting your air conditioning contractor, there are a few steps you can take to help make your check-up goes smoothly.

Check the surroundings around the perimeter of the air conditioning unit. Cutting back the shrub and tree growth that surrounds your unit helps to ensure that enough air can be collected from the outside to help cool your home.

Do a 60-minute air conditioning test run. Turn on your unit the first day that the temperature hits 70 degrees (usually in March or April) and let it run for about an hour. Detecting problems and scheduling proper air conditioning repairs is much easier during the cooler months. Also, this can help get your unit fixed and inspected faster due to less air conditioning emergency calls from others dying for air as well.

Check the air filter, and change it if necessary. Permanent air filters only require annual cleaning for optimal performance, but some air filters may need to be replaced annually. Either way, in both cases, dirty filters can create several problems for an air conditioner. Fighting with a dirty filter causes your unit to become overworked.

Check Air Conditioner Thermostat operation. While this may sound obvious, you should also double check that the A/C thermostat is set on cooling mode, and the temperature is well below room temperature to automatically turn on the air conditioning unit.

If a problem occurs, calling for maintenance early in the season will likely get you the fastest service from a local heating and air company, such as Poormans Heating and Air Conditioning found in Fort Wayne. Remembering that routinely checking your air conditioner unit is the most economical solution to guarantee cool air during the summer months. If it is time to install a brand new unit, make sure to look into a Trane ultra efficient electric heat pump. This option provides both heating during the colder months and cooling in warmer months. When choosing Poormans Heating and Air Conditioning, theres also a $500 tax credit for investing in an energy efficient home comfort system!