Friday, April 17th, 2015 Blog by Kendall Cooper A central air conditioning unit can be one of the biggest investments you’ll make in your home. The average cost of a new central air conditioner is about $5,043, according to a survey by Angie’s List. The good news is that quality central air conditioning units can last 10 to 15 years, if properly cared for. Air conditioning units require some basic cleaning and maintenance that homeowners can do themselves. It’s a good idea to clean and inspect your air conditioning unit twice a year, once at the beginning of the summer months, and once at the end. Cleaning your air conditioner involves removing dirt and debris from both the outside and inside of the unit, and cleaning or changing the air filter. You should also make sure that air flow into the air conditioner remains unobstructed, and that it’s not being exposed to any potentially corrosive elements. Before you begin cleaning your air conditioning unit, turn it off.

You may have an on/off switch on your unit, but if not, you’ll need to turn off the unit at the breaker box. This protects you from electric shock while you’re working on your unit. Start by examining the outside of your unit. Remove any leaves, twigs, lumps of dead grass, or other debris from the outside of the unit. Debris on the outside of the unit can hamper airflow, forcing your air conditioner to work harder and shortening its lifespan. Once you have removed any debris from the outside of the unit, go ahead and spray it with a garden hose to remove any exterior dirt. Next you’ll want to access the inside of the air conditioning unit so you can service the condenser. Remove the nuts, screws, or clips that hold the exterior protective grille in place. Once you have removed this grille, you should be able to see the condenser coil. Remove debris from the condenser coil by carefully vacuuming it with a soft, bristle-brush attachment on a shop vacuum. The fins are delicate, so take care not to damage them.

Once you have vacuumed the condenser coil, remove the covering at the top of the condenser. This protects the condenser’s fan, which may or may not be attached to the protective covering itself. Use a damp cloth to wipe the fan’s blades clean. Now, it’s time to change the air filter. Some units have disposable cardboard filters that need to be entirely replaced, but others have reusable filters that can be washed out. If your unit has a metal and plastic filter, there’s a good chance it’s meant to be washed and reused. To find the air filter, look for a slot inside your home, usually at the place where the return air duct from the air conditioner enters your furnace’s blower chamber. Most central air conditioners make use of your central heating’s blower and ductwork. If you have a reusable filter, you can wash it outside, using your garden hose. If it’s a disposable filter, just throw it away and replace it with a new one. If you are changing your air filters often enough — every 90 days or 60 days if you have pets – you’ll find that the condenser coils and fan blades inside the air conditioner stay much cleaner, and may not even need to be cleaned annually.

Before you turn your air conditioner back on, make sure that nothing is blocking the air flow into the unit outside. running ac unitAny bushes, trees, vines, or fences should be planted far enough away from the unit to allow air to flow freely into it.best cheap ac units If you have a dog or there’s a dog in your neighborhood, you may want to erect a small fence around your central air conditioning unit. ac unit purchaseThat’s because dog urine can corrode and damage the condenser coils inside the unit, and you may end up needing to replace them. If you see any signs of corrosion on your condenser coils when you clean them, consult our service department. Before you turn your air conditioner back on, you may need to let it warm up. If you’ve had the air conditioner turned off for more than four hours, turn off your thermostat, restore power to the air conditioner, and let it warm up for at least 24 hours before turning your thermostat back on.

This way, heating elements inside the condenser will have a chance to re-warm the lubricating oil that the condenser needs to function. Central air conditioning units require cleaning and maintenance, just like any other part of your home. You can clean debris from your air conditioner yourself, but make sure to call us for regular maintenance. Keeping your air conditioner clean will lower your electricity bill, and extend your unit’s life.A dog died at a Whitman grooming business on Saturday. After the dog owner's family said the business was to blame in a social media post that went viral, a K-9 Groomers part-owner said the facts of the case are on their side. WHITMAN – A dog died following a trip to a local grooming business on Saturday — that much is not in dispute. But beyond that fact lies accusations from a grieving family, a business defending its actions and a viral social media post that has led to death threats. Just before 9:45 a.m., on Saturday, a Holbrook family pet named Bailey was dropped off at K-9 Groomers in Whitman for a bath and a haircut.

Three hours later — and before any grooming began — the dog’s temperature had spiked to an unsafe level, according to the dog’s owner, Cheryl McNeil. Bailey was then brought to VCA Whitman Animal Hospital and later, Weymouth Animal Hospital, but attempts to lower his body temperature were unsuccessful and the dog was put down, McNeil said. “Yesterday morning my family and I woke up with the healthiest, happiest dog in the world. This morning, we woke up to an empty feeling and a very sad house,” McNeil wrote on Facebook Sunday morning in a post that has since been shared nearly 10,000 times. “I wanted to share this story so people know to not go to this place so nothing like this will ever happen again to someone else’s family pet.” McNeil alleged that the business owners placed Bailey in unsafe temperatures while he waited to be groomed — even suggesting the dog could have been left outside in the hot sun. But surveillance footage showed Bailey in a room with several other dogs during the duration of his visit and K-9 Groomers part-owner Bob Lane said the temperature in that room was 62 degrees.

“There’s a lot more to the story than what people read,” said Lane, who was not present Saturday. Jennifer Balas, the other part-owner and Lane’s girlfriend, was one of two employees on duty Saturday morning. Lane showed The Enterprise surveillance camera footage of the room that showed the fluttering tag of a dog bed — positioned directly in front of the AC window unit — that seemed to suggest the room was being cooled. Lane also said the air conditioner has a cooling capacity of 15,100 British Thermal Units, almost three times the recommended minimum BTUs to cool the 195-square foot room. The owners of the other dogs in the room had been contacted by local animal control and all reported no health problems, according to Lane. With tears in his eyes Tuesday afternoon, Lane said he and Balas feel terrible about what happened to Bailey. But since the post began going viral, people have been calling the business owners murderers in online posts and even leaving threatening voice mails suggesting the business owners should be left in a box out in the sun until they die.

“It’s really gotten out of hand on Facebook,” Lane said Tuesday inside the shop as news media trucks waited outside. “And the media only wants to report the bad stuff that happens. They’re not looking to shed any light on this subject.” According to Lane, Balas said the dog didn’t look healthy upon its arrival and a greenish substance was found in the steel cage where Bailey had been prior to suffering what McNeil called heat stroke. A police investigation has been opened into the incident, Lane said. The business was open for its usual hours on Tuesday and Lane said its longtime customers have pledged their loyalty to the business. The building has been home to dog groomers for about 10 years and had a checkered history under previous ownership, but Lane said Balas has stabilized the business since taking over nearly two years ago. “I don’t think we’ll have to close down,” Lane said. “I just wish people would hear the whole story.”