Winter may be a good time to stay in and cuddle, but I’ll be happy in summer with a working air conditioner. As the temperatures rise and summer comes ever closer, everyone starts looking at their one indispensable appliance: their air conditioner. However, like everything else in our homes, it requires regular maintenance and services to perform at its best and to extend its lifespan.
Regular maintenance and services can improve energy efficiency and air quality and reduce energy bills or repairs. We will be able to see all of these benefits and explore them in detail while providing practical tips for homeowners to keep air conditioners summer ready.
Understanding the basic maintenance you can do at home, or bringing in a professional to provide other necessary services, is crucial to maximizing the benefits of your air conditioning unit and keeping your home cool and comfortable throughout summer. While it’s still chilly, you can use a heating service in Rockwall, TX. This will ensure that your home maintains efficiency during the colder months and can be prepared for the summer sun.
Understanding Your Air Conditioners
Air conditioner basics start with using coils to provide cool air into your home and release hot air outside. Then your duct system can efficiently move the cooler air throughout your home to control the climate to the homeowner’s preferences.
There are a few different types of air conditioners, and knowing the one that is installed in your home will determine the type of maintenance and services it needs. Room air conditioners are small units in certain rooms or spaces within the home and must be serviced individually. Central air conditioners circulate the cool air throughout your home with a duct system.
Maintaining Your Current Air Conditioner
The basic maintainance of your air conditioners.
Current AC Maintainance
Having an older air conditioner in your home is a good thing. With many years of efficient use and energy saving tips, you can keep an older air conditioning unit functioning at top performance. You need to provide regular maintenance and service so that it doesn’t happen unexpectedly.
Awareness of common air conditioning problems or warning signs will keep you ahead of any issues that may arise so that a technician can perform maintenance before a larger repair is needed. Manufacturers generally make durable and high-quality products;
if an air conditioner fails, it’s usually for one of these common reasons. Some need a professional, and you can prevent some in your home. Refrigerant issues, whether leaking, charged incorrectly, or low on refrigerant, should be fixed by a trained professional so that they can fix any leaks, test the repairs and then recharge the system per the manufacturer’s specifications.
Electrical control failure can happen anywhere within the unit, especially if the unit is oversized, and any connections should be tested and repaired by a trained professional for safety reasons. Inadequate maintenance at home can create dirt and debris build-up, making fans and compressors fail too early. Neglecting necessary maintenance creates a steady decline in your unit’s performance while energy uses increases to try to keep up with the demand of your home.
DIY Maintenance
Start with cleaning and replacing your air filters regularly. Clogged or dirty air filters can lower the air flow throughout your home, but they can also make the air bypass the filter and deposit that dirt and debris directly on the coils.
This debris will impact the capabilities and functions of the coils and lower your air conditioner’s efficiency. The debris that is not caught in your filter can also be pushed into your home, and having these particles, dander, or spores in your home can irritate anyone who may have allergies.
These particles will also start to create more dust accumulation within your home. If you have a room air conditioning unit, the filter is usually on the grill facing the room. However, if you have a central unit, filters are commonly found in walls, closets, or ceilings along the return duct’s length. You can also get reusable filters. This will keep you from constantly buying new ones to replace the dirty ones.
Reusable air filters need to be cleaned off and can be returned to their housing. During the height of summer, you should check, clean or replace your filter every month or every other month. If you have pets, dusty conditions, or your unit is constantly running, it may need more attention than that, but you should routinely check it during this high-use period.
Cleaning your air conditioner coils is the next best thing you can do at home. Dirt or debris on your coils reduces their ability to absorb heat and should be checked and cleaned at least once a year. You should easily be able to see the coils outside and will be able to see if the fins are getting dirty. Maintaining at least two feet of space around the unit by trimming back foliage and keeping the surrounding area clean will help.
Sealing and insulating your air ducts is something that you can do at home as well. Some of the largest energy for central air conditioning units is from leaky ducts. Cool air escaping from ducts or hot air getting into return ducts can be prevented by ensuring they are airtight. Finding leaky ducts can be tricky without the proper diagnostic tools and the experience to locate them. It’s an easy way to increase your A/C efficiency, but you can always call a professional like Choice Heating and Air Conditioning for help.
Hiring Professional Help
When your A/C needs more than regular maintenance, you can contact us to get a certified technician to inspect your unit. A well-trained technician will find and fix any issues with your unit with proper and thorough diagnostics.
A technician also has the tools necessary to test the amount of refrigerant or detect leaks, know how to safely collect refrigerant, verify the electric sequences or inspect the terminals. Never lose your A/C during the summer, so use air conditioning service in Rockwall, TX, and imagine how much cooler you’ll be in summer.