Tips to prep air conditioner ahead of dangerously hot weather

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

ServPro and HVAC repair companies advise homeowners to check their AC filters and clean air ducts ahead of the heatwave to prevent house fires.

As Missouri's heat rises ahead of ABC 17's Stormtrack Weather Team's Weather Alert Day on Thursday, and ongoing drought conditions continue, ServPro and 3rd Coast HVAC advise homeowners to check their AC units to prevent fires.

"We've had two calls in the last two days for house fires," ServPro project manager Clayton Gause said. "They are pretty common, especially when it gets hot...You want to change the filter in your AC at least once every 90 days. All that dust and dander and all that kind of stuff, that's what causes flames, sparks, and stuff like that."

However, Levi Campos with 3rd Coast HVAC advises you check your filter more often.

"Make sure that the filter is checked at least once a month," Campos said.

Campos added that the thickness of your filter typically determines how many months it will last.

"You should check your filter every month if it's one inch, two if it's two inches, and so on and so fourth," Campos said. "You should also wash your outdoor condenser, it helps with efficiency and the longevity of the system."

Campos said that residents should hose down the outdoor condenser coil with a spray nozzle on it at least once a year, and should spray the unit. Gause added that another problem they often run into is hoarding.

"The most common thing I see when we go into house fires is that a lot are semi hoarders," Gause said. "People will have a lot of like papers or boxes built up in their homes, blocking doorways."

Campos advises homeowners to make sure their air conditioning units are a 12-18 inches away from the home, bushes or trees. He also said that making sure your AC unit and House is grounded will prevent fires from starting in the first place.