You should always take good care of your air conditioner. This is partly due to the many benefits it comes with. These benefits include:
Reduced cooling costs: While your summer electricity expenditures may seem unavoidable, you can take action by hiring AC repair services to maintain your air conditioner. By doing this, the device is kept lubricated, clean, and operating at peak efficiency.
Extended lifespan: Air conditioners that are neglected are likely to break down before age ten. A well-maintained system, however, might survive fifteen years or longer. By extending the lifespan of your system, you can avoid early replacement costs and save money every season on repairs.
Fewer mid-season malfunctions: While an air conditioner doesn’t break down conveniently, it’s worst when it does so on a sweltering summer afternoon.
Thankfully, you can avoid this situation by undertaking routine maintenance, which enables a technician to identify and address emerging issues early on. Maintaining your unit can prevent failures and repair expenses, saving you both money and hassle.
Warranty preservation: Preventative maintenance is so important that most air conditioning manufacturers mandate yearly tune-ups to maintain the validity of your warranty. You’ll be liable for any unnecessary replacement or repair expenses without this.
AC maintenance best practices
Would you love to keep your AC in top working condition? Here are valuable tips you should follow:
Pay attention to the air filters.
Filters are used in forced-air HVAC systems to shield sensitive components from flying debris, such as textile fibers, pet hair, and other particles that enter the system through the ductwork.
Because the filter is out of sight, it is easy to forget them. This is wrong.
HVAC repair companies recommend that you inspect the filter every three to six months and change it if it seems dirty. This encourages appropriate ventilation for increased comfort and energy savings.
Check the condensate drain.
In addition to eliminating heat, air conditioning reduces humidity in your house. A condensate pan collects and drains the excess moisture in the air that condenses on the evaporator coil.
The pan could fill with liquid and operate poorly if the drain is clogged. Ensure the condensate drain is clear every time you change the filter to avoid an unnoticed clog.
Address odd noises
Although air conditioners don’t run quietly, you should know when they are noisier than normal. You should take any odd noises seriously, as they may indicate an impending breakdown.
You can save money on repairs and prevent the inconvenience of a complete system breakdown by taking prompt action.
Get a programmable thermostat.
Do you still have to adjust your thermostat by hand? You can upgrade to a Wi-Fi or programmable thermostat for a small cost. Then, while you’re gone throughout the day and at night, lower the temperature by 8 to 10 degrees to lower your cooling costs.
Your schedule will determine the automatic recovery periods, so you never have to endure discomfort.
Don’t ignore the outdoor unit.
You must take care of the exterior condensing unit on your split-system air conditioners. Hose it down before summer to eliminate cobwebs, dust, and grass clippings.
Next, make any bent fins straight. Throughout the season, keep an eye on the unit and remove at least 12 inches of surrounding greenery. By taking these actions, you increase heat exchange and the efficiency of your air conditioner.
Don’t close too many registers.
People often believe that energy can be saved by shutting air vents in rooms that aren’t in use. But all this accomplishes is upsetting the equilibrium between return and supply air.
To be safe, you should keep at least 80% of your registers open at all times to prevent overworking your air conditioner.
Verify that no curtains, rugs, or anything is obstructing them. Use the brush attachment on your vacuum to clean the grilles of any dust or debris that might obstruct airflow.
Don’t set the temperature too low.
It is natural to desire to cool down quickly when overheating. Because of this, many homeowners set the thermostat extremely low in the hopes of cooling their home more quickly. It won’t.
Instead of depressing the gas pedal, turning on the air conditioner is like turning on a light switch. Try lowering the temperature by one or two degrees, removing an extra layer of clothing, and turning on a fan to help you cool off more quickly.
Raising the temperature above the desired point only wastes energy.
Don’t push your AC to work harder than it should
The worst enemy of your air conditioner is heat gain. To be safe, steer clear of the stove, clothes dryer, and dishwasher in the afternoon to minimize internal heat gain. When cooking and showering, turn on the exhaust fans in the kitchen and bathrooms to help remove heat and moisture.
Another issue is solar heat gain. To mitigate this, shut the curtains on windows facing west and south in the afternoon. Next, to block the sun during the warmest parts of the day, plant shade trees on these sides of your house.
Don’t run an old and inefficient unit
Your air conditioner won’t last forever, no matter how meticulous you are about its upkeep. One day, frequent malfunctions, excessive repair costs, or inefficient operation will force you to consider replacing your air conditioner.
When investing in a new, energy-efficient air conditioner, work with HVAC repair companies Huntington for advice.
The contractors will guide you in the right unit to go for and the ideal size to get.
Many people put off replacing their units and end up running units that are too old. This is wrong as the old unit keeps breaking down. Also, the old unit consumes too much energy, making it too expensive to run.
To be on the safe side, if your unit is more than 10 years old and keeps breaking, it’s time to get a new one.