Prepare Your AC Unit For Winter

During the transition from fall to winter, residents often begin thinking about their furnace and getting it ready for the cold weather. While preparing the heating system for winter is great, people shouldn’t neglect the needs of their air conditioning units. Getting your AC unit ready for winter is an important task. Even if it’s past November, you can prep your AC during the cold months so that you know it’ll be ready to go again in June.

Turn Off the AC Unit

Turning off the air conditioning may seem obvious. If it doesn’t run in the winter anyway, isn’t it already turned off? In fact, the AC unit can inadvertently turn back on, even when you aren’t intending to use it. To properly shut off the AC, search for the exterior power to the central air unit. To do that, look for the outside circuit and flip the switch off to the AC. This action prevents your AC from turning on by mistake and wasting energy with its unnecessary cooling.
The AC can also accrue damage if it’s running on and off by accident. Completely turning off the unit allows it to sit through the winter without any dangers of power-related damage.

Do Some Cleaning

If you’re looking to prepare your AC for the rest of winter, wait for a relatively warm day. After you have powered down the AC, examine the unit for debris, dirt and other materials. Keeping those substances away from the AC for the rest of winter ensures that the unit does not become clogged, even while it’s off.

A technician is the best person to clean your unit, but you can also do that yourself. Take a hose and wash the unit. The AC should be able to dry for a few hours. Don’t worry about dust accumulating on the AC during the time you leave it out there to dry. A small amount of debris should not disturb the unit.

Cover the AC

Once the AC is dry, find a cover for it. A well-fitting AC cover will feel secure on the unit. The manufacturer of the AC may have a few custom covers. If you can’t find one of those, you can use a tarp or a similar waterproof cover. Make sure to secure the cover with bungee cords or other ties. Winter weather, especially around Toronto, can get pretty treacherous, and you don’t want your cover flying off and leaving your AC exposed to the elements. It’s probably a good idea to check out your AC a few times during the winter to make sure the cover is still secure.

Prepare the Furnace

By this time, you’re probably already aware of how well your furnace is working this winter. Still, it’s worth it to give it a quick examination to check for excess dirt. Go around and look at your ductwork as well to make sure you don’t have any air leaks. If you keep an eye on both your AC and your furnace, your systems will be in good shape once you hit a seasonal transition.

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