Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Top 5 Car Maintenance Tips for the Summer

No doubt, winter certainly puts considerable strain on car. But dealing with the hot summer months can be equally challenging. The arrival of summer does not mean that you should neglect your car. Car maintenance is something that needs to be done throughout the year. If you want your car to be in tip-top-shape, without breaking down, then there are several things you can do this summer, including paying a visit to a local auto repair shop.

If you do not want your car to break down, then all you need to do is adhere to the following car maintenance tips for the summer.

Air Conditioning: Air conditioning is particularly valuable during summer, especially if you get stuck in a traffic jam. Therefore, it is vital to ensure that your car’s AC system is prepared for the summer period. Your car’s air conditioning system has probably lost all or most of its refrigerant gas during winter and it will continue to do so throughout the year. So, to avoid a major AC repair, you should get the refrigerant gas refilled and get your unit serviced if you have driven your car 30,000 miles since the previous service.

Air filter: Come summer, your car’s air filter will be more likely to get clogged up since it is designed to keep debris and dust from entering the engine. If it has been a long time since you replaced the filter, then you should replace it as soon as summer arrives, so that the air flow going into the engine is not hindered.

Batteries: During winter, your car batteries have probably gone through a lot. If you start your car and if it seems to struggle, then there might be a problem with the batteries. Moreover, the batteries will be prone to getting overcharged due to the summer heat. Keeping the batteries clean will ensure that they run smoothly. So, before you take your car out for a drive this summer, wipe off the battery terminals after detaching the cables.

Cooling fan: As its name suggests, the cooling fan serves the purpose of cooling the engine, especially during summer. The engine can get significantly damaged if the fan seizes and the engine coolant boils up, which is very likely during summer. After turning the heater to cold and driving the car to normal temperatures, park your car and keep the engine running for 5 minutes. If the fan does not automatically kick in within this time and your engine temperatures begin spiraling upwards, then you may need to seek assistance from a local auto repair shop.

Tires: One common cause of vehicular breakdown during summer is punctures, while an already present damage can get aggravated by the high temperatures. Therefore, since summer is nearing, you should monitor your car’s tire pressures, and you should continue checking them once summer has actually arrived. An abrupt drop in the pressures of any of the tires might be a sign of a puncture. You should also make sure that your car tires have a tread depth of at least 1.6mm.


Conclusion
The bottom line is that both winter and summer can put an equal amount of strain on your car. This is why you must be wary of car maintenance throughout the year. The above following car maintenance tips for the summer will certainly help, but you might just have to pay a visit to the Faircloth Automotive Crawfordville auto repair shop.

Posted By: Joey Faircloth http://fairclothautomotive.com

Saturday, April 5, 2014

Preventative Spring Service for Your AC Now Can Help to Negate Problems Later

Spring service of your AC unit is probably the last thing on your mind in the cold, dark days of
winter - it's all about keeping warm isn't it? Those hot summer days seem to be so very far away
when you're all huddled up inside with lots of layers of clothes and scared to leave the house
without gloves, scarf and a woolly hat.

The problem is that March is already upon us and the way the seasons fly by it'll be April, May
and June before we even get a chance to pack away our winter sweaters and find our shorts and
flip-flops.

The reality is that a preventative spring service on your AC unit is something which you ought to
seriously consider so that you can prevent any problems later in the year. And, you need to do it
now to make sure that when the temperatures do start to rise, your home will be ready for it.

What happens in the Spring? The birds start to sing, the trees begin to get their leaves and the
spring flowers begin to blossom - which leads to dust, pollen and allergens all swirling around
outside your home - yep, spring is definitely the season of allergies.

If your AC unit is serviced before allergy season takes hold, you can be sure that the evaporator
coils are dust free, clean and ready for action - allowing them to deal with anything that gets
blown inside. This means that a spring service on your AC unit will help to keep your home cool,
clean, healthy and allergen free.

There are of course other reasons why your AC unit should be regularly serviced -and a spring
service is the perfect time for the annual check-up.

• A well serviced and maintained AC unit will work more efficiently, which means that not
only will your home maintain a comfortable temperature all over, but it will do so without using
up too much valuable electricity. A well maintained AC is much more "pocket friendly" than AC
units which are not running at full efficiency.

• A well serviced and maintained AC unit will last longer than one which has been left to
struggle, smoke, wheeze and clatter along. Regular servicing means that any worn out parts can be
serviced or replaced before they start to affect the other parts of the unit. It's not cheap to
replace an AC unit, it's much more cost effective to look after the one you've got and have it
regularly serviced.

Those long hot summer days are really not too far away - make sure that your home is fully
prepared with a spring service on your AC.


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Crawford Services can provide you with professional, knowledgeable and thorough attention for your
household HVAC needs. For more information about Spring service,solar energy heating and other
heating and air conditioning topics, visit us at 
http://www.crawford-services.com

Posted By: Joey Faircloth http://fairclothautomotive.com