As fall approaches, so do those fall chores. All through Troy and the surrounding areas, even as the leaves will be turning and the temperatures dropping, it will also soon be time to prepare your outdoor central air conditioning equipment to survive the cold of a New York State Capital District winter.
At Family Danz Heating & Cooling, we know some folks are winter people and some aren’t, but we know for sure that outdoor mechanical air conditioning equipment won’t much like the cold without a little bit of prior preparation. Most of you wouldn’t go out in the cold without a winter coat, so why make your financial investment suffer through the weather without some protection?
We previously talked about storing your window air conditioning, but if you have central air that big and bulky outdoor unit is going to have to stay where it is. To help protect it from the rigors of the cold as well as damage from snow and ice, there are several safe winterizing steps you should take. That way you’ll make sure when the snow thaws the central air equipment will be in the same shape as before it was buried under the blanket of white.
First, give the central air unit a good cleaning — start by removing any leaves, grass, or tree branches that have fallen on it and then wash with a regular garden house with some soap and water. That’ll remove any flotsam like dirt, bugs, and bird droppings. Let the unit dry completely before covering it, so you don’t trap any moisture inside.
Make sure to turn off the air conditioning circuit, by opening the metal or plastic lid and flipping the switch off. That way an unusually warm winter day won’t activate the air conditioning process.
Check the insulation around any exposed pipes, and reinstall if necessary. Cover the central air unit with a waterproof cover. Wrap the cover with rope or bungee cords to make sure it is secure and won‘t blow away in a storm, leaving the delicate equipment exposed to the elements. And don’t trust that all of these preparations are good enough to last until spring — inspect your weatherproofing regularly to make sure the cover is secure, and remove snow and ice from the unit.
At Family Danz, we’ve been facing the winter weather with our customers for more than 30 years now, making sure they are prepared for the temperature extremes and just as comfortable during the cold months as during the warm months. We’d be happy to share that experience with you, so give us a call today.
Family Danz Heating & Cooling is a full-service heating and air conditioning contractor, offering sales and service all through the Capital District of New York State, including Troy, Albany, Schenectady, Saratoga, and the surrounding region. If you would like more information on any of our services, call us at 518-427-8685.