Today we’re going to be looking at how to prepare your air conditioning unit for the upcoming monsoon weather.
Arizona has a defined season called the Arizona Monsoon. The monsoons are also known as haboobs (which comes from the Arabic word habb). This is a time where humidity levels increase. Weather conditions like wind storms, dust storms, and periods of heavy desert rains occur. This can be a dangerous time and it’s important to make sure you are well prepared. There are a few things you can do around your house to help protect your ac system. Let’s look at how to keep your system running strong through the monsoon season and longer.
Phoenix Arizona Monsoon Facts
Before we get in to AC units, let’s look at some facts about monsoons. The National Weather Service has set June 15 as the starting day of monsoon season and September 30 as the final day. Just knowing the days helps residents have time to prepare for the change in weather. Severe weather conditions can come up suddenly. These storms usually bring high winds, dust and strong downpours which can bring flash floods. They can also spawn microburst but that isn’t as common.
A good way to tell that the monsoon season is here in Phoenix, is when the weather reporters start talking about a higher dew point. The dew point is a measure of the amount of moisture in the air. Here in Phoenix we usually have a dew point below 40. When humidity rises, the dew point also rises. Generally, once the dew point has been above 55 for more than a few days, the monsoon season has arrived.
Now that you are familiar with what a monsoon in Arizona is, let’s dive in to how you can help protect your ac unit. That way it can continue to keep you cool through this dangerous season.
1. Clean Air Filter
The first and most important tip that will help you prepare your air conditioning unit for the upcoming monsoon season in Phoenix is: make sure you have a clean air filter!
If your filter is disposable, make sure that you are replacing your filter at least as often as the filter indicates or as directed by your AC professional.
How often is that you might ask? Let’s break it down
- 30 days – If you have severe allergies
- 45-60 days – If you are a pet owner
- 90 days – the average household
Ensure that you are using a pleated filter as the increased surface area on pleated filters helps them collect more debris.
If your filter is permanent, make sure that your filter is being cleaned at least as often as directed.
Why is the filter so important? Because monsoons, also known as a haboob (which comes from the Arabic word habb), can cause the air to contain very high amounts of dust and other contaminants and particulates. Once you add the high winds to that, the result can be damaging. Dust and particulates can get sucked into your home and through the filter. Having all this dust come through your filter will reduce the life of your filter. Even worse though it can also put your entire AC system at risk.
2. Clean Up Your Yard
As we stated earlier, monsoons can also bring very strong winds. You want to make sure that there is sufficient clearance around the outside of your air conditioning unit so that if small items do start getting blown around your yard, they don’t blown in to your ac unit which can damage the delicate coil that surrounds it.
3. Use A Surge Protector
Lightning strikes are one of the most common occourances with these storms. The strikes from the lightning has the ability to create strong electrical surges. These electrical surges can trip your home’s circuit breaker and knock out power to your air conditioning unit. Having a surge protector for your AC system is one of the easiest ways to protect your breaker and save money on an expensive service call if your power goes out.
4. Preventive HVAC Maintenance
You should also consider is getting your air conditioning unit tuned up and checked by a professional ahead of monsoon season. This can help ensure that your AC unit is up for the challenge and will last through the rest of the hot summer season and hopefully for many more years to come.
5. Use A Professional To Get Your AC Unit Ready For The Arizona’s Monsoon Season
Any mechanically inclined homeowner should be able to perform the tips laid out above. But if you’re unsure about any of the things laid out here, or if you just don’t have the time to do any of these, reach out to us here or give us a call at (480) 361-8458. The expert technicians at Simply the Best are able to get your ac unit ready to handle one of the hardest seasons on your home ac unit.