Air conditioners have become household necessities to keep us cool, especially during the summer season when the scorching heat of the sun can become unbearable. ACs, however, are also susceptible to summer heat damage. It is thus crucial that you perform air conditioner maintenance when the hot summer months come around.
12 Air Conditioner Tips for Summer
If your air conditioner isn’t regularly maintained, it will work harder and consume more energy to provide the comfort environment you want. This is especially true during summer when you expect your unit to deliver maximum efficiency. If this is what you want, you should consider the following to ensure that your air conditioner stays in tip-top shape:
1. Clean Your Filters
Air conditioners circulate air throughout your home on a regular basis. It sends cool air into your living spaces, and collects and transports old air back through the system. Over time, the air filter becomes clogged with dust and allergens, which reduces airflow to the furnace, making your system inefficient as it starts creating loud sounds while not producing enough air. To prevent this from happening, clean your filters at least once a month. This will allow you to have a healthy air conditioner and ensure that it runs at its peak efficiency.
2. Use a Thermostat
The air conditioner doesn’t have to produce more cold air than what you actually need. Smart thermostats can be used as these can sense the temperature in your room and adjust your air conditioner accordingly. If your AC cannot be programmed automatically, you can set the thermostat to the standard room temperature, which is between 24 and 26 degrees Celsius.
3. Use Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans can be combined with air conditioners to help save energy and cool your room at the same time. This can reduce power consumption and extend the life of your AC. Using fans may allow you to set your thermostat a degree or two warmer than you may have been able to stand otherwise.
4. Seal All Openings
Air that is leaking slowly from a tire will always require more of it; the same principle applies when it comes to cooling your home. An A/C will pump more cool air if your windows, doors, and walls have cracks that allow air to escape. To prevent cool air loss, make sure that you use weather stripping, insulation, and caulking to seal unwanted gaps or openings so you can enjoy a working and healthy air conditioner.
5. Turn Off the Unit
When you’re not at home, it is better to turn off your air conditioner. People like to leave their AC’s on so their rooms remain cold when they return. This is not entirely wise as it can make your unit work hard even when cool air is not needed.
It has also been debated whether it is better to maintain your A/C at the same summer air conditioner temperature everyday or to adjust it to a higher setting when you are not at home. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, however, your thermostat should be set at 78 degrees F when you’re around and turned up to a higher temperature when you are away.
6. Check the Vents
Clean the vents once every three to four months to ensure that there is no debris or dust obstructing airflow. If the vent is inside the room, keep it open as this will allow air to flow freely a lot faster since there is less area to cool.
7. Keep a Shady Room
Keep the sun away from a room by closing the curtains. UV rays can heat the room unnecessarily, particularly in summer. When this happens, the air conditioner will have to pump more cool air and this in turn will heat up the unit.
Alternatively, you can reduce the heat from the sun by tinting your window or applying a film to it. This will allow you to have a healthy air conditioner that easily adjusts to the changes in light exposure.
8. Have Enough Space
The indoor and outdoor units of your air conditioner must be placed in an area that is large enough. Ensure that there are no obstructions like walls, pillars, or large furniture, so the unit can draw in and expel air without difficulty.
9. Clean the Outdoor Unit
An air conditioner’s outdoor unit is as important as its indoor counterpart. The latter won’t work efficiently if the former is damaged. Thus, you need to clean this, especially the condenser coils and the compressor. The coils can become dirty and will consequently be unable to absorb heat. These can be cleaned with a garden hose, but you should ensure that no electrical connections get wet during the cleanup.
10. Check the Insulation
The cooling power of an air conditioner can be affected by a damaged or tangled insulation. To prevent this from happening, inspect the insulation that covers the coolant pipes every summer. If this needs to be replaced, doing so is quite easy.
11. Get a Home Warranty
Even if you take all the needed precautions to protect your air conditioning unit, there will still be unseen factors that can cause this to stop working. A product warranty can protect your wallet and your health as this will help reduce the cost of replacing or repairing your system if it breaks down.
12. Schedule a Unit Maintenance
Although you can follow all available tips to keep things running smoothly, professionals are better equipped to diagnose if you have a healthy air conditioner. A scheduled maintenance can actually be set in advance before the season gets too hot.
Tune-ups are offered regularly by most HVAC companies to ensure that your system is running at maximum energy efficiency. These include checking all electrical connections, lubricating the fans, testing the coolant levels, and identifying and fixing any serious problems that may have developed from years of usage.
Key Takeaway
Summer can take its tool on your most important home appliance during the hot months – the air conditioner. There’s an obvious need to ensure that the unit remains in good condition when the temperatures begin to rise, and there are lots of simple HVAC tips for summer that you can consider.
To ensure that your air conditioner is in perfect condition, perform an inspection every four to six months. Focus should be on such parts as the air filter, vents, and insulation as these need to be cleaned regularly. Failing to do so will gradually reduce the efficiency and life span of your air conditioner.
Regular maintenance as performed by an air conditioner specialist is also important, and this should be done annually to ensure that you have a healthy air conditioner. The inspection is crucial as it can identify any damage that you might not notice on your own, but which can become serious if not addressed right away.
Contact DunRite Heating & Air, Inc., this summer to check the condition of your air conditioner.
Summer is the perfect time for the inspection of many home appliances. This is particularly true in the case of air conditioners. If you need help, DunRite Heating & Air, Inc., is just a call away.
Reach out to our HVAC San Jose experts if you think there’s something wrong with your air conditioning system, or if you need to know when should you replace your AC unit . Rest assured that we’ll deliver the needed service with utmost efficiency. Call now.
