When Should I Turn my Air Conditioner On?

Happy first day of Spring!  Despite the calendar telling us that it is the first day of spring, it can be hard in Michigan to truly believe that warmer weather is on its way and that it is here to stay.  March and April are months of change where some days we walk outside in flip flops and on other days we pull back out the snow boots.  With all of this unpredictability how can we know when to make the switch from heating to cooling?  When should you turn your air conditioner on?

The first thing to know is that you do not need to have an air conditioner inspection done before you turn on your air conditioner.  The inspection is important to make sure that the unit is running safely and efficiently throughout the cooling season, but if you and your family are dying for some cool air-go ahead and turn it on.  We can still do the inspection at a later date.

We recommend that you wait until there has been at least two days of warm weather before turning the air conditioner on.  That way the warm air can loosen up the oil that it is in the compressor.  Not waiting can result in problems with the compressor.  So, if in typical Michigan fashion, the weather forecast calls for an 80 degree day in April followed by a 55 degree one, it is better to keep the a/c off until the warmer weather is more consistent.

If you are switching between using your furnace and your air conditioner, wait a few minutes between turning one off and turning the other on.  This prevents the circuit board from frying.

For more information about getting your air conditioner ready for warm weather, do not hesitate to contact FLAME!