The dog days of summer are barking and Labor Day is just around the bend, signaling the end of yet another epic season in the sun. But before you give your flamingo pool float one last hurrah, take a break with some home maintenance prep for the changing season ahead. Why worry now about what you can do next month? Well, as it turns out, some home maintenance tasks are best tackled in August, before temperatures start dipping.
Even though Summer’s not over, August is a great time to replace your AC’s air filter and clean your AC drain line. Why? The air filter on your heating and cooling system needs to be replaced every 1-3 months to keep the air in your home clean and flowing freely through the unit. For best results use a high quality air filter that’s rated to remove mold, pollen, and other microscopic particles. And remember, fire season has been going strong already, and isn’t over yet. Who knows how much smoke has built up?
So, how do you replace the air filter? Well, first you have to find it. The air filter is located where the air returns to your heating/cooling unit. In some systems, the filter is in or near the air handler unit, while on others it’s behind the wall or floor return grate
- Turn the air conditioner off, and wait until it stops running.
- Take the cover off the air return.
- Remove the old air filter.
- Write the current date on the new air filter.
- Insert the new air filter in the return, making sure the arrow on the edge of the filter is facing in the direction of air flow. For filters with wall and floor mounted returns, the arrow should point in toward the return duct. For filters mounted in the ductwork near the air handler, the arrow should point toward the air conditioner unit.
- Put the cover back on the air return.
- Turn the air conditioner back on.
To make it easier to replace the filter next time, put a sticker on the cover with exactly what size filter you need to buy and when to replace it.
Now it’s time to check and clean the AC Drain Line. Air conditioners remove water from the air in your house as they cool, and the last thing you want on a hot August day is for the condensation drain line to become clogged with algae and back the water up into your AC unit or house.
To check the drain line for clogs, pour a cup of water down the access line while someone else watches where the pipe exits outside. If the water drains slowly or not at all, it’s clogged and needs to be cleared.
To remove a clog from the line, attach a wet-dry vac to the end of the pipe, and use it to suck the clog out of the drain line.
To prevent future clogs in the air conditioner drain line, pour a cup of bleach down the access pipe to kill any algae.
Voila! Now you can enjoy your AC throughout the dog days of Summer with peace of mind.
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Photo Credit: Mike Focus / Shutterstock.com