Labor Day is soon approaching. In many parts of the Northeast and the Ohio River Valley, this is a great time to start preparing your air conditioner for the winter. As a result, why not use your free time during the Labor Day weekend to prepare your air conditioner for the winter?

Here are four useful tips for preparing your air conditioner for winter that are easy to incorporate into your home’s maintenance schedule:

Disconnect Your Air Conditioner’s Switch
Your air conditioner has a switch that is designed to control when electricity flows into the air conditioner’s moving parts. It is usually located in your air conditioner’s circuit box. Disconnecting this switch is a good idea because it can prevent water and ice from accidentally freezing inside the air conditioner’s motor during the winter.

Clean Your Air Conditioner’s Compressor
Many electricity providers such as Palmco recommend cleaning your air conditioner’s compressor before winter begins. This is desirable because it can prevent unwanted condensation and ice from clogging your air conditioner’s compressor.

Replace the Filters
Labor Day is also a great time to replace your air conditioner’s filters. They are usually located in the air conditioner’s return duct. Be sure to use the arrows that are printed on the filter to ensure that you are installing them correctly.

Inspect the Air Conditioner’s Hoses
There are several hoses that attach your air conditioner to its compressor, motor and water source. Inspecting the condition of these hoses is worthwhile because it can prevent costly repairs to your air conditioner’s vital parts that are difficult to complete on your own.

Some of the problems that you should look for while inspecting the hoses include:

Tears and holes that can cause leaks.
Missing washers that can prevent water from flowing into the unit.

As you can see, there are several things you can do during Labor Day to prepare your air conditioner for the winter. Feel free to use the tips mentioned above to start a winterizing plan for your air conditioner that is easy to incorporate into your home’s maintenance program.