Do you hold your breath as you turn on your air-conditioning system when warm weather first arrives?

Sometimes gremlins seem to have spent the winter undoing your AC functions, which were working fine last fall when you stopped using the system.

Don’t be alarmed. You can solve most of these problems yourself if you wish.

Smells

• The system can kick out some funky odor at first, but it’s just getting rid of debris that accumulated while it was off. This is similar to the smell of a furnace when it is first turned on in the fall.

The startup also may send accumulated dust and debris into your rooms, which is bad news for allergy sufferers. It should be a short blast; a long-term

expulsion of allergens signifies more serious problems.

Airflow

• If the air movement is sluggish, you may need to clean or replace the filter. Dirty filters will disrupt a system and lead to many problems.

It’s much less expensive to spend a few dollars on filters than wait for one to get dirty enough to derail the system.

Leaks

• That puddle could be the result of a clogged condensate drain or frozen coils.

You often need only a cup of hot water to clean a clog from the condensate drain. But if you want to make the punch more potent, use a cup of liquid bleach, distilled white vinegar or hydrogen peroxide.

Pour your concoction down the drain and wait half an hour. That should be enough time for the clog to begin to dissolve.

De-icing coils

For frozen coils, you can use a hairdryer. Yes, a hairdryer!

First, turn off the system and wait 24 hours. The coil may thaw on its own.

If not, check the aforementioned filter to see if it’s dirty and causing the clog.

If it’s clean, your next step is to turn on the fan to the AC. That’s the fan-only button. This will send warm air over the coils and melt the ice.

You can accelerate the process by using a hairdryer to bathe the coils in warm air. However, do NOT put it on the high setting, cowboy. That much heat could crack the coil.

Instead, stand back and keep the hairdryer set at low or moderate. Within 20 minutes the coils should be defrosted.

Let them dry completely before you start the AC again.

More complicated

Other startup problems – odd noises for instance – may require a visit from an HVAC pro.

A buzz or a click usually signifies a problem with the capacitor or electrical system. A squeal or a clank might mean a fan belt is frayed or parts are loose.

All these components, incidentally, will be checked by an HVAC technician as part of an annual maintenance program if you wish. Then you will have peace of mind every time you turn on the AC.

Premier HVAC, based in Brooklyn, provides top-notch service, flexible scheduling options and quick response. We guarantee our labor.