When the summer heat arrives, you want to make sure your air conditioner can handle the warm weather and keep you cool. AC unit outages do occur from time to time. And when these outages occur, it’s often during the hottest days of summer. However, there are ways to keep your air conditioner running to the best of its ability and make outages less likely to occur.
Risk of Unit Breaking Down
Air conditioners don’t last forever. In fact, you may have to replace your air conditioner every 10-15 years. Also, you may experience AC unit issues due to broken parts or air conditioner outages due to bad weather. And when it’s hot and steamy outside, the thought of your air conditioner breaking down is sure to leave you not feeling happy about the situation. It may be difficult to predict and prevent occasional breakdowns of your system, but there are ways to help prevent long-term AC outages.
How to Prevent AC Outages
Sometimes bad weather or power outages result in your air conditioner not working for a while. You can take steps to make AC outages less likely to occur. Here are some tips to prevent long-term AC outages:
- Install a surge protector: Using a surge protector is one of the easiest ways to protect your air conditioner and help prevent permanent AC outages. You don’t want your air conditioner to sustain damage if an outage occurs, and a surge protector can keep your AC safe should this happen.
- Use a hard start kit: If you’re having difficulty getting the AC compressor to start after a power outage, a hard start kit can help. This type of tool helps get your AC up and running quickly.
- Consider the contractor: You should also consider the AC contactor and ensure it’s in the best possible shape. An upgraded contactor helps ensure your AC won’t try to run if it’s not able to do so.
- Elevate your air conditioner: Power outages can also be caused by flooding from storms. To protect your AC and ensure that occasional outages are not permanent for your air conditioner, ensure your air conditioner unit is elevated to make flooding less likely.
Benefits of Regular Maintenance
In addition to the tips above, make sure your air conditioner is ready for use whenever you’re ready to do so. Obtain regular maintenance on your AC unit, so it’s ready to go when hot weather arrives!