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AC maintenance in Brawley, CA

Dust, wind and farm country

Brawley is farm country in the north end of the valley, and it's home to the Cattle Call Rodeo. Fields, feed lots and wind mean one thing for air conditioners: dust.

Why dust matters so much

Your outdoor unit works like a radiator. Its thin aluminum fins release the heat pulled out of your house. When fine field dust packs into those fins, heat can't escape, so the system runs longer, uses more electricity and runs hotter inside. The indoor filter fills up faster too.

After a windy day or a dust storm, check the filter. It's common for one storm to do a month's worth of clogging.

A Brawley maintenance routine

• Filter: check every 2–4 weeks in summer and after any dust storm. Many homes here do best with a MERV 8 pleated filter changed monthly.
• Outdoor coil: with the power off at the disconnect, rinse from the inside out if you can, or straight through the fins with a gentle hose spray. Never use a pressure washer, which bends the fins.
• Tune-up: every spring. Ask the tech to clean the coil properly while they're there.
• Vents and returns: vacuum the return grille monthly so dust doesn't get pulled straight into the system.