Test Run Your AC—Then Schedule Maintenance

Test Run Your AC—Then Schedule Maintenance

The official first day of spring isn’t something we watch out for carefully in the deserts of Southern California—because the hot weather here never truly goes away for long. The first part of March might as well be spring, and as far as your air conditioning in Palm Desert, CA is concerned, it’s the right time to begin planning for the major work it does during the middle of the year.

The essential part of prepping an AC is to arrange for regular maintenance. However, before your annual appointment with our HVAC professionals, you can find out some vital information about the status of your cooling system by giving it a test run.

Here’s What You Do

Pick a warm spring day when the outdoor temperature is above 65°F. (Yes, this is ­most days around here, but that makes it much easier.) Turn the air conditioning system on and set it a few degrees cooler than the outdoor temperature. Don’t put too much pressure on it yet since it hasn’t gotten its professional maintenance. Let the system run for around an hour, which is enough for it to go through a complete cooling cycle.

Here’s what you should look for:

• Is the AC cooling down the house at the speed you expect?
• Are there any strange sounds coming from the cabinets or the ventilation system?
• Does the airflow from the vents feel powerful?
• Does the AC complete a full heating cycle, or does it shut down early and then quickly start up again?

Make a note of anything that doesn’t seem right. Check the air filter to see if it needs to be changed. (Maintenance includes a filter change, so you don’t need to change it yourself unless it’s seriously clogged.)

Now schedule professional maintenance, and you’ll have additional information to tell your technicians that will help your AC receive the best possible service.

For Exceptional Customer Service, Please Give Our Office A Call. Russell’s Heating & Air Conditioning Serves The Inland Empire And Desert Communities.