After a long winter, don't just flip your A/C on and hope. A few minutes of prep now prevents breakdowns when the heat arrives.
Your air conditioner sat untouched through months of Montana winter — snow, ice, and freeze-thaw cycles. Before the first warm stretch, a quick startup routine makes sure it's ready to perform and helps you catch any winter damage early. Here's a simple checklist.
What you can do yourself
- Replace the air filter with a fresh one
- Clear leaves, branches, and debris from around the outdoor unit
- Gently rinse the outdoor condenser with a garden hose
- Make sure the unit sits level and hasn't shifted from frost heave
- Check that vents and registers inside are open and unblocked
- Set the thermostat to COOL and confirm it responds
Do a test run early
Don't wait for the first 90-degree day to find out your A/C won't start. On a mild afternoon, run the system for 15–20 minutes and confirm it's blowing cold air, sounds normal, and isn't leaking water. Finding a problem in May is far less stressful than during a July heat wave.
Leave these to a pro
Checking refrigerant levels, cleaning the indoor evaporator coil, testing electrical components, and verifying the system's temperature drop all require training and tools. That's exactly what a spring tune-up covers.
Want it done right without lifting a finger? Book Seeley Lake Electric's $129 spring A/C cleaning and tune-up. We'll get your system summer-ready and flag anything that needs attention — before it leaves you in the heat.
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