Snowbird season in Lake Havasu City: an AC checklist for leaving and coming back.

Why an empty house in Havasu is different

Lake Havasu City sits low, around 700 feet, on the Arizona side of the Colorado River. Summer afternoons well past 110°F are routine, and the heat hangs on into September. A house closed up through that stretch doesn't just get warm. Attics, garages and closed rooms get hot enough to be hard on electronics, finishes, stored food and the HVAC equipment itself.

Winter is the opposite. Days are mild and nights only get cool, so the system mostly rests. That's why the two moments that matter for a seasonal owner are the day you leave and the day you come back.

Before you leave for the summer

• Don't shut the AC off. Set the thermostat high, in the mid-80s is common, rather than turning it off. It keeps the inside of the house from climbing toward attic temperatures, protects the fridge, electronics and anything with adhesive or finish, and keeps some air moving.
• Use a new filter. The system will run on its own for months. Start it with a clean filter so airflow stays where it should.
• Put a fresh battery in the thermostat if it uses one. A dead thermostat battery in July can mean an AC that never turns on.
• Consider a Wi-Fi thermostat. It lets you see the indoor temperature from wherever you are and get an alert if the house starts heating up. That's often the only warning you'll get that the system stopped.
• Clear the condensate drain. A clogged drain can shut the system off through its safety float switch, or overflow into a ceiling or closet with no one home to notice.
• Have someone local with a key. If the house does get hot, someone needs to let a tech in.
• Get a spring check. A weak capacitor or a dirty coil is a small fix in April and a much bigger problem in an empty house in July.

When you come back in the fall

If the system ran all summer without you, it worked hard. Before you settle in:

1. Pull the filter. After months of running, it may be loaded with dust.
2. Walk around the outdoor unit or look at the rooftop unit if you can see it safely from the ground. Look for debris against the coil, bent fins or chewed wiring. Rodents and packrats like the shelter of a quiet condenser, and wasps like empty equipment.
3. Check the drain line and the pan under the indoor unit for standing water or rust.
4. Run it and listen. Buzzing or humming with the outdoor fan not turning, a burning smell or air that isn't cool are reasons to shut it off and call.
5. Check the heat on a mild day. Havasu winters don't ask much of the heating side, but it's better to know it works before the first cool night than during it.

Rooftop units and Havasu homes

Many Havasu homes, especially single-story houses and older properties, have a rooftop package unit instead of a split system. Those units take full sun and wind all summer, and they are easy to forget because you can't see them. Don't climb onto a roof to check one. That's part of a maintenance visit, where we look at the roof curb, the panels and the duct connections along with the usual electrical and coil checks.

Is it time to replace instead?

Seasonal owners often don't notice a system getting weaker because they're not there when it struggles most. If yours is older, ran nonstop through the summer, or came back with a high electric bill and no good explanation, it may be worth pricing a replacement while you're in town instead of waiting for it to fail in an empty house. We covered how to think about that in our post on repairing or replacing an older AC.

We're a Trane dealer, and we quote replacements in three tiers side by side. Financing is available on approved credit.

Book it while you're here

You get the service call price on the phone, before anyone heads your way. The diagnostic is credited toward the repair when you approve it. Air-Exx is veteran owned, licensed, bonded and insured (AZ ROC 350424). See our Lake Havasu City service page, or call (928) 565-6440 to set up a fall check before you settle in, or a spring check before you head out.