As summer approaches, it’s important to ensure your air conditioner is in good shape. At the same time, you need to take care of and maintain your AC unit to work well even when it’s hot outside.
When your unit functions optimally, you save money on energy costs and get better cooling. To help you out, here are tips from AC repair services to keep your home cool and comfortable during the hottest months of the year.
Keep the AC running
It might sound counterintuitive to have your AC running all the time when you are looking to save money, but according to Xiaolin Wang, a senior lecturer in mechanical engineering at the Australian National University, the cost of starting up the unit might be more than the cost of leaving it on.
To save some energy, don’t turn off the air conditioner when you run out to school or the store.
You should note that when you turn the AC off, the room will get hot, and the air conditioner will have to run again to cool it down, costing you more money.
On and off and on is bad for the air conditioner’s compressor. So, once it works, keep it working.
If you are going out for one or two hours, you can leave the air conditioner running at a constant temperature, but if you will be out for eight or more hours, it’s wise that you raise the settings a little bit.
To easily set up your unit, consider investing in a programmable thermostat.
Inspect and clean the air filters.
There is no way your AC will run optimally if the air filters are dirty. Remember that a dirty filter blocks airflow lowers efficiency, and raises energy costs, so it’s important to keep it clean.
At least once every three months, inspect your filters, and if dirty clean them. If the filters are too dirty or damaged, instead of cleaning them, replace them.
Tune up the unit
The most important thing you can do to ensure your air conditioner works well and reliably year after year is to get it tuned yearly.
Even if you’re good about checking and changing your air filters regularly, having a professional come by once a year to check how your system works inside makes a huge difference in how well it works over time.
It’s recommended that you have your unit tuned up once a year, but if you put your unit into extreme work, consider having it tuned up every six months.
Clean and replace the coils
If your air conditioner isn’t cooling as well as it used to and you’re starting to feel the heat, resetting it by cleaning or replacing the coils might be time.
Over time, your air conditioner’s evaporator and condenser coils get clogged with dust, dirt, and other debris. If you don’t give them attention, they are bound to reduce the efficiency of your appliance.
When you clean or replace these coils, you can breathe new life into an older unit or keep a newer one running at its best.
You can do the cleaning yourself, but let an experienced professional do it for the best outcome.
Be cautious when cleaning the coils, as they are delicate and can easily get damaged.
Clean the vents and registers.
Keep the vents and registers free of dirt, dust, and other particles to get the most out of your air conditioner.
If you don’t, it could cost you money because clogged vents block airflow, which keeps your HVAC system from working at its best.
You can keep the units clean by vacuuming them often, but you should also try to give them a deeper clean every few months.
Keep an eye on the refrigerant levels.
One of the most important things to do when taking care of an air conditioner is to monitor the refrigerant level.
Refrigerant is the most important thing that makes air conditioners work well. If the amount of refrigerant isn’t right, the cooling power and energy efficiency will go down, so it’s important to check it often.
The good news is that this process is easy. During routine maintenance, ask your air conditioner repair services Huntington provider to quickly check the refrigerant level to ensure it meets manufacturer standards.