Home Maintenance Mistakes You Make Every Fall

The first official day of fall is just days away!

This change of seasons comes with a long to-do list for homeowners, and, unfortunately, most homeowners get that to-do list all wrong.

You’re covering your outdoor AC unit.

While a unit cover may seem appealing for blocking out leaves, sticks, and other debris that collects in the fall and winter months, AC covers actually present a much greater risk of sealing in moisture and allowing it to freeze inside your unit.

Maybe your unit even came with a custom-shaped cover?

Trust us—don’t use it.

You’re not scheduling maintenance when everything is running well.

You just survived another hot, hot summer and your AC never broke down—phew! It’s easy to claim that “win” then move on to the fall thinking that everything will be fine until next summer, but would you leave your car parked for 6 months and expect it to run perfectly when you crank it back up? Nope!

Just like any other heavy machinery, your AC unit needs to be checked and tuned up throughout the year, even if you haven’t noticed any problems. This saves you so much money in expensive repairs and unit replacements down the road.

You’re not doing anything at all.  

If you’re in this boat, here’s a small list of things that you need to be doing in order to keep your unit running efficiently for as long as it can:

• Wash Your AC Unit

Using just a water hose, you can wash off the outdoor debris that has collected on your unit all summer. You should work to clear out leaves, dirt, small twigs and branches, weeds, and any other trash collecting in your unit.

Some online instructions will tell you to disassemble your unit in order to more thoroughly clean it. We recommend leaving this more rigorous cleaning to your AC maintenance experts, so that you do not damage any of the fragile internal parts of your unit.  

• Install Foam Pipe Covers

Adding these around the exposed pipes on the exterior of your house adds a little extra insulation and protection against the freezing temperatures that are to come. All you need are rolls of pipe insulation, heavy-duty scissors to cut it with, and some duct tape to hold it all together. Here’s a great step-by-step instructional video.

Want experts to help you prepare your unit for fall?

Having regular maintenance is, hands down, the most sure-fire way to ensure a long life for your HVAC unit.

Give us a call or go online to schedule your consultation today.