When you read our posts about regular air conditioning system maintenance, you’ll notice we often mention spring as the best time to have it done. Which it is. Spring maintenance preps the air conditioner right before the time when it does the most work, and it also lets you schedule a convenient time for the service when you won’t have to rely on the cooling system.
But we don’t want people to think that spring limits air conditioning maintenance. Yes, it’s the best time for it. But once spring is past, that doesn’t mean the opportunity for maintenance is over. This isn’t a situation where, if you didn’t schedule it for the spring, you’ll now have to wait until next spring before you do it. There is no terminal date on AC maintenance—except that it needs to be done once a year. Have it done in winter, fall, or midsummer—but please have it done!
A central air conditioning system has two fans: one located in the outdoor condenser cabinet, and the other in the HVAC cabinet inside the house. These two fans are essential for the air conditioner to do its job. Obviously, an air conditioner that cannot send air out through the vents isn’t going to be much good to you! And if the outdoor fan fails, the air conditioner won’t be able to effectively move heat from the indoor air to release it outside.
This summer you don’t want to face a broken air conditioning system and a scramble to get emergency help out to fix it. We are happy to provide you with emergency 
Spring arrived a few days earlier on the calendar this year. But that’s only the “official” first day of spring, a point in the Earth’s journey around the Sun. Our local weather doesn’t obey the calendar, and the cold weather blows through here sometimes until May. But spring is still the season of air conditioning tune-ups and inspections, no matter what the weather is like. Without fail, the summer heat will arrive, and you’ll want your air conditioning system in peak shape to handle it.
If the “drain snake” you’re thinking of when you ask this question is a hand-cranked drain auger purchased from a store, then it might be enough to take care of a clog in a sink or shower drain. It isn’t a total solution, however, and in many cases it provides only a brief fix and will leave you with a clogged up drain only a few weeks later—or less.
If you have a furnace in your house that’s more than 15 or even 20 years old, any replacement system will have a higher energy efficiency rating. This because standard for gas furnaces have changed dramatically over two decades, and even the new mid-efficiency models have a higher standard than the mid-efficiency models at the start of the 21st century.
The winter weather isn’t done with us, but the second half of the season is a good time to consider how well your home’s furnace has held up. This may be the last winter it can perform up to expectations. Or it may already have fallen behind this season. If you’ve spent more on 
You don’t want mold anywhere in your house. Mold looks awful, creates terrible odors, destroys building material like drywall, and can release toxic spores. (Black mold, the most common type of mold due to water damage, is the most dangerous.) Unfortunately, a number of common plumbing issues can lead to mold. The faster you call for 
What sort of home appliance do you think is most likely to corrode? You’ll probably think of the water heater, or shower heads and other water-using fixtures. You probably don’t think about your gas furnace rusting. It doesn’t use water to warm your house, after all. It applies heat to the air through a metal heat exchanger that contains hot combustion gas.
When heating season starts (a.k.a. “winter”), your home’s furnace will get down to steady work. That means you’ll have the semi-regular job of keeping an eye on it. This isn’t an intense job, only a reminder to keep your senses open to any of the signs the furnace is in trouble—and to remember to change the furnace filter on a regular schedule.
