Southern California is known for its mild winters and intense summers, that’s why NIR Plumbing is happy to provide air conditioning services in the Inland Empire and surrounding areas! As Socal residents, we know just how hot a California summer can get. This means it’s extra important for homeowners to prepare their air conditioner and their home for the summer heat! Are air conditioning services in the Inland Empire something you might be needing for this Socal summer? Let’s see if we could help!
In the past, the NIR team has shared winter tips for a California home on more than one occasion, so what’s more appropriate than sharing some tips and tricks on how to prepare one’s home for the summer? Just imagine the frustration if your air conditioner were to break down on the hottest summer day! Let’s prevent what we can and plan ahead for potential unforeseen circumstances. In this blog, the NIR team will be discussing how you can stay cool, calm, and collected in the upcoming heat-ridden months. After all, since we provide air conditioning services in the Inland Empire, we might know a thing or two about AC care in Southern California!
Listed below are a variety of tips we recommend for preparing your air conditioner, keeping your living space cool, and refreshing your home environment amidst the ever-increasing heat from the sun:
- Service your air conditioner;
- Inspect outdoor plumbing, roofs, and home exterior;
- Inspect and clean attic;
- Stock up on essential items;
- Check dryer vents
- Check for air leaks;
Service your air conditioner. It’s especially important to check out appliances and tools that you haven’t used for several months to ensure they are functioning properly. Keeping up with your air conditioner’s filters is no exception. If you take the time to regularly inspect the filters and check for cleanliness and freshness, this will ensure that your air conditioner is functioning in the best way possible when the summer days and nights arrive.
If you don’t want to check your own filters, you could always opt for a professional to do it. At NIR, we won’t shy away from filters! We’re happy to offer air conditioning services in the Inland Empire, and want you to take advantage of our AC services if it’s convenient for you. We wouldn’t want your filters to be an issue when summer rolls around the corner. Why are filters so important to your AC?
Regularly checking the filters on your air conditioner is especially important if you live in a dusty environment or a place with allergy irritants. Southern California is no stranger to dust particles, from desert sandstorms to tumbleweeds. With that in mind, consider having spare filters on hand so that you can replace them accordingly.
Clean the condensation lines. In the case of your air conditioner, the pipe that carries condensation (the drops of water that collect on a cold surface when humid air is in contact with it) away from your air conditioner can get clogged.
If the pipe becomes clogged, it could back up into the air conditioner (or even worse, into your house). The result would be something really messy and really costly to repair. So, to combat this, locate where the pipe drains out and make sure it’s draining properly. If not, seek a professional and they’ll assist with draining the pipes. Again, we provide air conditioning services in the Inland Empire, so if cleaning the condensation lines seems too big of a job, contact us for assistance. We’re available 24/7 so you don’t have to work around our schedule; we work around yours!
Clean the coils on the outside unit. During the winter, your AC’s outside unit has been collecting dust, mud, and other debris. This is especially true if you don’t cover the unit. Gunk from rain, wind, and general earth-related mess could clog up the unit, causing your AC to run sluggish.
For lightly soiled units, disconnect the power and spray down the outside of the unit with a garden hose. For heavily soiled units, a commercial air-conditioner cleaner from a hardware store will get the job done. As stated previously, if this sounds too daunting, you could always opt for professional air conditioning services in the Inland Empire, such as NIR Plumbing. The goal is to prepare your AC for successful coolness before the heat.
Check the concrete slab. You know what slab we’re referring to! After your outside unit is clean, it’s important that the concrete slab is level for the unit to rest on. If the slab is uneven, the unit will have to work harder to keep your house cool. And the whole purpose of tips & tricks is to alleviate hard work, right?
If the slab isn’t level, hold it up with a board and add gravel underneath in small amounts until it becomes level. Remove the board when you’re done.
Inspect outdoor, including plumbing, roofs, and home exterior including summer tool inspection. Check that your outdoor faucets and irrigation system are still intact after battling the winter blues. Remove insulators (also called freeze caps) from outdoor faucets and turn on the water to ensure fluidity and cleanliness.
Check on your gutters and downspouts. Winter can be tough on them, and damage can lead to leaks that let water in your basement or crawl space or cause wood rot around the gutters.
Inspect summer tools. Power tools and hand tools probably haven’t been cleaned since the previous winter. Make sure to wash off any remaining dirt from your shovels, hoses, rakes, pruners, and shears. It’s also recommended that you wipe down yard tools with a lubricant, lubricating hinges of pruners, shears, and any tool blades with rubbing alcohol for optimum use. Sharpen blades if needed and try to make it a habit to put your yard tools away to dry to help prevent rusting. While tips for tools don’t necessarily require a plumber, the other tasks such as checking gutters and downspouts might be difficult. If assistance is needed, you could ask a trusted neighbor or family member, or you could check what air conditioning services in the Inland Empire could help. NIR Plumbing is happy to assist!
Inspect your attic. Before the temperature is too hot to head up there, inspect your attic. There are several things that could have happened over the winter that may need your attention. For example, you may have had critters nesting up the attic to try to escape the cold. If that’s the case, you’ll need to get rid of any animal droppings, as animal waste can cause respiratory problems or other diseases for you and your family. Make sure you locate and seal the hole(s) where the animals entered from.
During the summer, it’s important that you release hot air from your attic. It’s common knowledge that heat rises, so it’s no surprise that your attic can be one of the hottest parts of your home. To counteract this accumulation of heat, open up windows for a short period of time to release built-up heat. You could also consider installing a fan or vent specifically for your attic. If you do these things, the rest of your home may immediately feel cooler after you do.
Stock up on essential items. Before summer hits, it doesn’t hurt to stock up on all the essentials: water and ice, paper towels and plates, plastic cutlery, cleaning supplies, batteries, toilet paper, and other necessary household items that could minimize energy-use. After all, we want to stay cool in the summer, right? If we could lessen the amount of hands-on work we need to do after completing the heavy inspections, this could easily keep us cool.
Some specifics to consider when it’s time to tackle those extra hot, extra long summer days: beverages, a clean grill with plenty of propane, clean outdoor chairs and cushions, working light fixtures, candles, and lighters, ample bug spray and sunblock.
Check dryer vents. If you own a dryer, you may have already noticed that the temperature in your laundry room rises as soon as you turn it on. This is, of course, as a result of the hot air circulated within and around your dryer. Temperatures can rise even more if your dryer’s vents are blocked. Regularly check the vents of your dryer for blockages so that hot air isn’t blowing back into your home. This task is basic home preparation and maintenance.
Check for air leaks and how to stop them. Leaks throughout the home can let in unwanted hot air and, in effect, release wanted cool air. Check the caulking and insulation strips around your windows and doors to ensure that they are steady and unblemished. Re-caulk or install new installation strips if needed.
This is also a good time to clean all windows, as this is a good opportunity to inspect your windows for signs of dry rot and water damage from melting snow and ice. Just as you would for air leaks, check the seals around windows and re-caulk or replace damaged weather stripping where it’s needed. This will go a long way toward keeping the hot air out and the cool air in as the weather gets warmer.
NIR Plumbing: Bringing You the Coolest Summer
So, what do you think? Are you prepared for a hot California summer? We hope these tips & tricks helped! Some of the tips & tricks might be a bit, well, tricky. And at NIR Plumbing, we recognize that not everyone has the time or means to summer-proof their home. That’s why NIR Plumbing is proud to offer air conditioning services in the Inland Empire.
The NIR team knows hot summers, and we know the importance of good ACs. Give us a call if you’re in need of air conditioning services in the Inland Empire. With years of experience providing customized and preventative repairs, NIR Plumbing is certified to perform plumbing work in the state of Calfironia, adhering to state plumbing codes. We’re happy to offer our services!
All of our work is guaranteed and under warranty, and our flexible pricing–whether flat rate or hourly–is just one of many ways we accommodate our customers needs! Don’t find yourself melting into the heat this summer. Contact NIR Plumbing for the convenience of 24/7 air conditioning services in the Inland Empire!
