Tag Archives: Air Conditioning Repairs

Prepping Your Air Conditioner for Winter

In Northwest Indiana, the summers are hot and the winters can be dangerously cold. This summer, our air conditioning units worked overtime, so let’s get them properly prepared for Fall and Winter so they work like new next season. Here are a few tips from Earl’s to help prep your air conditioner for the winter.

Clean Your Unit

The first order of business is to clean your compressor, which is the exterior portion of your air conditioner. This equipment is exposed to the elements year ‘round and gets battered by rain, leaves, sleet and snow throughout the year. As a result, the equipment becomes filled with branches, leaves, bugs, animal droppings, and much more. All you need to do is simply remove the debris with your water hose.

Cover the Compressor

Once you’ve thoroughly cleaned the unit, it’s time to prevent any further contamination by covering it. Make sure you let it dry out sufficiently after hosing it down, however. Usually 24 hours will suffice. If you’ve had problems with debris in the past, you may want to consider a form-fitting plastic or vinyl cover. WARNING: Make sure you never turn the unit on when it is covered!

Get an Inspection

Preventive maintenance is one of the best ways to protect your system from costly repairs down the road. Before winter, it’s highly recommended that you schedule a furnace tune up, so you may also want to have Earl’s check your air conditioner as well. By identifying problems early, we can cut your maintenance bill and keep your air conditioner in tip-top condition as it weathers out the winter.

Although you won’t use your air conditioner for the duration of winter, remember the essential role it plays in your comfort during the rest of the year. When winter is finally over, don’t forget to give Earl’s a call to get it ready for the warmer months! You can contact us at (219) 942-9023.

Short-Cycling: What It Is and Why It’s a Problem

When you live somewhere that gets as hot and humid during the summer as it does in our parts, you know how important it is to have a fully functioning and efficiently working air conditioner in your home. You want to know that it’s going to be reliable all summer long and won’t quit on you in the middle of summer when you need it the most.

For this reason, it’s imperative that you schedule maintenance on a regular basis. Even with maintenance, however, AC systems can still run into problems. One of these issues is when the AC system starts up fine but runs only briefly before shutting back down: a process called short-cycling. Continue reading

What Contributes to Air Conditioning Efficiency Loss?

We probably don’t even need to tell you this, but summer is officially here! Temperatures are only going to rise even further in the coming months, and when they do you’ll want to make sure your air conditioner is working as effectively and efficiently as possible.

Be sure to pay attention to your utility bills. If you notice a rise in costs compared to what you paid last year, or even what your neighbors are paying for comparable use, then your air conditioner could definitely be losing some of its energy efficiency. Continue reading