Before the first 100° day: nine things to check

Santa Clara’s first triple-digit day lands between late June and mid-July most years. Everything below takes an hour on a Saturday and keeps the phone call off the list.

Outside

1. Clear two feet around the condenser. Rosemary and juniper grow into the coil over a winter.
2. Hose the coil fins from the inside out with the power off. No pressure washer.
3. Check the pad is level. A unit leaning more than a few degrees loses oil return to the compressor.
4. Look at the big copper line: the foam insulation should be whole. Sun-rotted foam means a warm line and a harder-working system.

Inside

1. New filter. If it is a 1-inch filter, monthly through summer.
2. Thermostat: set the fan to Auto, not On, and check the batteries.
3. Find the condensate drain outside; pour a cup of water down the inside end if you can reach it. A clogged drain is the most common August call.
4. Close blinds on the west side by 2 p.m. It is worth half a ton of cooling.
5. Run the system for twenty minutes and feel the supply air. It should be 16–20°F colder than the room. Less than that, book a tune-up now rather than in the heat wave.

If the unit is more than fifteen years old and any of this is marginal, the planner on our home page will tell you what a replacement would look like before anyone comes out.