GREENSBORO, N.C. — It's almost fall, but we're falling back into summer heat.
VERIFY QUESTION
Good Morning Show viewer Kathy Welch Brice submitted this question via Facebook:
"My daughter heard on the radio you should hose down your AC unit to get it colder. Can you please VERIFY this? Thank you."
VERIFY SOURCE
VERIFY PROCESS
Home guru Tom Gracia said what Kathy's daughter heard is true. You should hose down your AC unit, but not to cool down the unit, itself.
"One of the biggest problems with AC units behind the home is debris. Many times you put a bush around the AC unit just to hide it. The problem is the bush grows bigger and bigger every year, and it's into the space of the AC unit," Garcia explained.
If the unit stops putting out your desired coldness, go outside, and check first for a clog.
"Especially at the end of summer, as we're cutting the grass, the grass gets pulled into the AC unit. The problem with that is it starts to clog up the vents here. The vent can't get the proper air flow, and it can't cool down the home as it should," he said.
That problem can lead to poor efficiency and shorten the life span of the unit. Thankfully, the fix couldn't be easier.
"It's so simple. All we need to do is take a hose end and spray it down. The AC unit can handle getting wet. Drive all the material, all the debris, spiders and all that stuff back out, and get it nice and clean," he said.
Do this once a month during summer to keep the outside system running smoothly. Every 90 days, change the air filter inside the house. And, annually, call a pro.
"Get a professional technician to come in, check your AC, your heat pump, your furnace, because you want to make sure it's running at peak efficiency. Also, they're going to look for things that can go bad," Garcia said.
VERIFY CONCLUSION
Yes, hosing down the AC unit to rid it of debris can keep the system running at the homeowner's desired coldness.
Do you have a VERIFY inquiry? Submit a post or selfie video to Meghann Mollerus via:
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