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Air conditioner maintenance checklist

Book the air conditioner check before the heat, rinse debris off the outdoor unit, and change the filter every three months. Where it is hot and humid, the check comes in March and the rinse in April and August.

Add these to my calendar
My climate

7 jobs a year, timed for hot and humid. Tick them off as you go.

  1. January

  2. March

  3. April

  4. July

  5. August

  6. October

"Add these to my calendar" opens the free planner with this already ticked. Tick the rest of your house there, and it saves one calendar file that repeats every year.

The numbers, worked

In the hot and humid band the air conditioner gets 7 jobs a year: the check in March, a rinse of the outdoor unit in April and August, and 4 filter changes in January, April, July and October. Hot and dry is the same.

Where winters are mild, the check moves to April and there is one rinse, in May: 6 jobs. Where they are cold, it is a check in May and a rinse in June.

Questions

When should I service my air conditioner?

Before it works hardest: March in the hot bands, April where winters are mild and May where they are cold.

How often should I rinse the outdoor unit?

Twice a year in the hot bands (April and August) and once a year elsewhere, in May or June.

Why is the furnace filter on an AC list?

Central AC usually shares the furnace's air handler, and with it the filter. If your AC has its own air handler, its filter follows the same four months.

Can I get reminders for these?

Yes. "Add these to my calendar" opens the free planner with Central AC ticked; it saves a calendar file that repeats every year.

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