I’m sure all my fellow New Mexicans have figured out over the past couple of weeks that the summer heat is officially here. We were sittin’ pretty, enjoying temperatures in the 70s, and then BAM! We were scorching in our homes with outside temperatures in the 80s and even bordering 90 degrees.
As if it weren’t bad enough with the stay-at-home order in place until mid-May, now it’s hot outside too! Have you done your seasonal changeover yet? What IS a seasonal changeover?
This refers to changing over your heat to cooling in your home, and vice versa in the fall months where the cooling is turned off and the heating is turned back on.
Seems pretty self-explanatory, right? Many people can perform this service on their own, and others think they can do it. But should just anyone handle this task on their own? Or should they call in the pros?
First, let’s explain what needs to happen in homes with a swamp cooler and a heating unit. The heating unit needs to be properly shut down, and a damper put in place if necessary. The cooler needs to have a functioning motor, pulley system with a belt in good condition, pads with little to no calcium buildup, bearings in working condition, copper tubing going from the water source to the cooler, a scale eliminator to help with calcium buildup, and a float.
With air conditioners, it’s less intense to get the cooling up and running. Many people that have AC can switch over the heating and cooling on their thermostats and nothing needs to be shut down. However, it’s still a good idea to check the air filter on the AC to make sure it’s clean and then put back correctly in the appropriate spot.
While many people may feel like they can handle this on their own, it’s still a good idea to have a professional come out to your home to inspect the unit, whether it’s an evaporative cooler or AC. This will give you the peace of mind that everything is still functioning properly, and you’ll find out if there’s any larger issues that you’d need to know about sooner rather than later.
Inspecting and maintaining cooling units are part of the bread and butter for the experts at Albuquerque Plumbing Heating & Cooling. If you’re looking for help with the changeover at your home, our proficient technicians can come out and help you to feel cool in the heat of the desert.