What to Do Before Turning Off Your AC Unit in Winter?

As you get ready to transition into the cooler part of the year, it’s helpful to know what you should do to get your ac unit in winter ready for some downtime. Fortunately, there isn’t a lot that needs to be done, but you should be aware of some key points. Of course, if you need any help with this or anything else related to your HVAC system, feel free to reach out to Walker Air • Plumbing • Electric for assistance. 

 

Be Sure You Are Done

The first step in this process is knowing you are done with the AC unit for the winter ahead. As you likely know, the weather in the Dallas area can be a little bit temperamental, and you might think the cooler weather has settled in to stay – only to find that summer comes back strong the next week with soaring temperatures. 

 

So, don’t get ahead of yourself with this process. Your AC isn’t going to run unless the temperature in your house rises above a set threshold anyway, so it’s no big deal if it sits for a couple of weeks or more just standing by. As the weather continues to get cooler and you won’t need the air conditioning again until next year, you can then get ready to go through the steps below. 

 

AC Unit in Winter Checklist

It’s not necessary to be any kind of expert in HVAC equipment to shut down your AC for the winter months. As long as you know where the various components of the system are located, you can go through this list one by one and be sure your system is ready for the transition to colder days. 

 

• Start by changing your thermostat out of cooling mode. During the summer, you likely have the thermostat set to “Cool”, which means the air will come on when the temperature hits a certain level. Now that you don’t want that mode to run anymore, turn it off and switch the thermostat to “Heat” for the winter months. This is because you don’t want your AC to accidentally kick on because the settings are wrong. 
• Turn off the power to the air conditioner by finding the switch that controls the flow of electricity to the unit. This should be located somewhere outside, and it will be inside of a plastic housing or case. Open up the case and move the switch into the “Off” position. Between this step and the previous step–of changing the thermostat settings–the AC won’t come on again until you are ready to restart it next spring or summer. 
• Use this opportunity to also change the air filter that serves your HVAC system. After working hard all summer to keep your home cool, the system will have moved a lot of air through that filter, and it’s probably pretty dirty as a result. A new filter is inexpensive to purchase and installing it should take just a matter of moments. Now that the system is breathing freely once again, it should be ready to offer you the kind of warming that you’ll need to stay comfortable in the winter. Of course, it’s a good idea to do this again when you prepare to turn the AC on next year, and you should probably add in an extra change in the middle of each heating or cooling season. Keeping a fresh filter in the system as often as possible goes a long way toward extending the life of your equipment and getting great performance. 
• If you have a cover for your outdoor AC unit, now is the time to put it on. While not absolutely necessary, adding a cover can protect your equipment from the harsh winter conditions that will sometimes move into this area. If nothing else, covering the unit will save you the time and effort of cleaning it up before the next time you use your air conditioning. Just remember to take the cover back off before you power up the AC next year!

Life in Texas means relying heavily on your air conditioner for much of the year. Work with Walker Air • Plumbing • Electric to make sure all the necessary maintenance and repair points are taken care of on your ac unit in winter, so you can look forward to comfortable temperatures from spring on through to the fall. Book today for help!