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The Prairie State might have a reputation for its cold, snowy winters, but anyone from the Fox Valley knows just how easily snowy skies turn into sunny summer days. While southern counties may bear the brunt of the heat waves, it doesn’t take much for rising temperatures to get under your skin.
Even worse? When those mid-July humidity spikes finally hit, paired with a sweltering 90°F outdoor temperature, your HVAC system may finally clock out.
No one wants to be in that position, but performing routine checks and maintenance before that happens is essential if you want to avoid $1,000+ in costly emergency repairs and premature system failure. With this guide and ten minutes of your time, your HVAC system will be ready to tackle whatever summer throws your way.
Summers in Aurora and the surrounding area can be beautiful, but they also bring a unique set of risks to your HVAC system.
While your central air maintenance checklist should include a quick visual inspection of your equipment, ignoring regional issues like cottonwood clogs is a surefire way to ramp up your AC tune-up costs.
These messy trees shed their seeds in the late spring and early summer, leaving your yard looking like winter never left. This “white fluff” floats through the air before settling in soft piles, and it seems particularly fond of clogging important vents.
When doing your visual inspection, make sure you check all components of your HVAC system, including anything on your rooftop or tucked away by unused walkways around your home. If left alone, the seeds can gum up the system and cause higher energy costs, severe damage to parts, or even total system failure.
Even if you are one of the lucky Montgomery homeowners who aren’t hit hard by white fluff, you still need to make sure your landscape doesn’t grow out of control during the warmer months.
Turn off the power to your unit, either at the disconnect box or your main circuit breaker, then use a multimeter to verify it has no voltage. This helps ensure the unit won’t kick on while you’re cleaning, minimizes the risk of injury or damage, and reduces the chance of electric shock.
Clean up the area around the unit. Trim back bushes, shrubs, and weeds to at least 18 inches from the unit, then clear away cottonwood seeds, yard clippings, branches, twigs, leaves, and anything else that may have made its way close to your outdoor unit.
Once the space is clear, use a garden hose to wash the exterior. You can use a spray nozzle, but avoid high-pressure nozzles and pressure washers, since they are more likely to damage the aluminum fins and create a bigger headache. Remove the metal shielding, then spray the vents to rinse away debris. Use a gentle cleaning spray and a nylon brush for stubborn spots, but don’t scrub hard enough to damage the fins or tubing underneath.
Follow up with coil cleaner to give your unit a deeper clean. After about 15 minutes, you should be able to give it a final rinse.
Give the unit time to dry, reattach the outer shields, and then turn the power back on. Let it run long enough to reach the right temperature, but the increased airflow and clean surfaces should improve your system’s efficiency.
Changing your air filters regularly, especially when you anticipate heavier use, is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to keep your HVAC system in top shape.
The general rule is to change your filters every 3 months, but your actual schedule depends on your environment, filter quality, and usage.
A home surrounded by female cottonwoods may need filter changes more often than one surrounded by males, and pet-friendly homes will quickly discover that fur buildup takes its toll on the HVAC system.
Clogged filters may not seem like a big deal at first, but they can quickly lead to higher energy costs, poor air circulation, short-cycling, and even total system failure.
Homeowners can do a lot to prevent costly repairs, but bringing in a professional HVAC contractor for a seasonal AC inspection helps cover all the bases.
After you’ve tackled the basics, a professional can handle details such as:
Seasonal AC tune-up costs often pay for themselves by increasing energy efficiency, catching problems early, and helping lower your ComEd bills.
Our Comfort Club is perfect for any homeowner interested in streamlining maintenance responsibilities and saving money along the way.
While every customer benefits from our 10+ years of experience working in Aurora and the Fox Valley area, Comfort Club members receive extra perks such as priority scheduling, a 15% discount on all repairs, extended warranties, and more. It’s the same peace of mind we’ve been giving customers since 1969, now wrapped into one comprehensive, cost-saving program.
Don’t wait for the next heat wave. Join the Artlip & Sons Comfort Club today for priority booking and peace of mind all summer long.
An HVAC system in Illinois should be professionally serviced twice a year, in the spring and fall, to prepare for the seasons when it gets the most use.
An AC tune-up by a knowledgeable technician can save money in the long run by improving efficiency, catching problems before they grow, and extending the life of your HVAC system.
Most professional AC maintenance visits include a thorough cleaning and inspection of your HVAC system. This often includes cleaning coils and drain lines, replacing air filters, inspecting electrical components and refrigerant levels, lubricating moving parts, and calibrating your thermostat. Technicians may also catch issues before they become costly and recommend efficiency upgrades when needed.
Cleaning your outdoor AC unit involves turning off the power, clearing debris from the unit and surrounding area, and rinsing the coil fins. You may remove the outer shell or use a coil cleaner for a deeper clean, but avoid high-pressure sprays or stiff brushes that could damage the aluminum fins.
