In many cultures and traditions, the winter brings holidays, which bring opportunities for giving gifts. Maybe you give gifts to your family members, friends, and coworkers. But what about your air conditioner? It may not join you for the holiday meal, but it can definitely benefit from some winter care! Here are three gifts you can give your air conditioner as winter rolls in.

The gift of a disconnected power supply

Now that you're done using the air conditioning for the season, one simple thing you can do for it is simply turn off the power. Some air conditioners have a power switch, which may be located on the top or side of the unit. If yours has one of these switches, you can just flip it down to turn the power off to the unit. Other air conditioners don't have this switch. In this case, you can just find the circuit breaker connected to the air conditioner and turn it off. Usually, an AC unit is put on its own circuit so that you can do this. Turning the power off to the unit helps protect it in case there is an electrical surge, and it also ensures nobody turns the air conditioner on accidentally, which could damage it during the winter.

The gift of cleaning out leaves and straightening fins

While it is nice to fully clean your air conditioner, that's not usually necessary. Even a gift of cleaning out the leaves is pretty nice! You can use an air compressor to just blow the leaves out of the AC unit. If there are any larger leaves, you may need to use a grabber tool to reach in and remove them. You can also use a little plastic tool called a fin comb to straighten any fins that may be crooked or cocked. This will increase your air conditioner's efficiency when you use it again next summer.

The gift of a nice cover

The last gift you want to give your air conditioner this year is a nice cover. No, you can't use a tarp, as this may trap moisture against the air conditioner. A real air conditioner cover will breathe just the right amount to prevent rusting and corrosion. You can typically buy these directly from the manufacturer of your air conditioner, or from the HVAC contractor who installed the unit. 

With these three gifts, your air conditioner will be fully prepped for winter. And don't worry — it will pay you back with great function next spring and summer!

to learn more, reach out to a local air conditioning service.