How to Winterize Your Central Air Unit
When owning a home there are many things the homeowner must do annually to prepare the house for the winter months. This includes making sure each major appliance is winterized. The central air unit is no exception to this rule, especially since it does not get used for the winter months. Winterizing this unit will guarantee a proper start-up when warmer weather hits.
Things you’ll need:
- Gloves
- Broom
- Bungee chord
- Central air unit cover
- Locate inside the house for the breaker box, which should have labeled breakers. Find the breaker to the central air or furnace. Turn this breaker off so that no electricity is running to the unit while it is being winterized.
- Clean the outside of the unit off. Remove sticks and cobwebs that have accumulated over the summer. There may be debris around the bottom of the unit, use the broom to sweep all the debris away.
- Look under the unit for any animal nests. This is a cool place and sometimes animal like to create their nests underneath. If necessary, call in a professional to remove any animals or animal nests.
- Rinse the unit off when all the cobwebs and debris have been removed. Wipe it down with a towel, speeding up the drying process.
- Place the central air cover over the unit. These covers have drawstrings around the bottom to allow for a tight fit during the winter. Make sure that it is entirely surrounding the unit and fits snug all around the bottom. Pull the strings to tighten it up a little more if needed.
- Turn the breaker back on to the unit. Occasionally during the winter, remove any accumulated snow or ice and double-check that the cover is still secure.