With winter gone and spring arriving, temperatures are rising quickly, and the need for cool air in your home is becoming more pressing. With that in mind, we at Chapman Air & Heat thought it would be a good idea to provide you with some tips on how best to look after your air conditioning (AC) system during the spring and summer.
Keep It Clean
ACs quickly gather a lot of dust and dirt since they filter the air constantly. A dirty or clogged air filter can significantly impede your AC’s ability to do its job, causing it to work harder. This not only shortens your AC’s life but also increases your energy bills.
If you ensure that your AC filter is replaced or thoroughly cleaned at the very least every one to three months during high-use periods such as summer and springtime, then it will perform much more efficiently and effectively.
Not only should you ensure that the filters are cleaned, but the area surrounding the outdoor unit should also be checked and cleaned on a regular basis. Remove any debris, such as leaves, branches, bird nests, or anything else that could prevent the AC from getting proper airflow. If the outdoor unit is blocked in any way, it could damage the system, which could lead to expensive repairs.
Set The Temperature Properly
It’s a common mistake for people to set the thermostat temperature too low, which can put significant and unnecessary strain on the AC. This will also increase your electricity costs and present potential health problems, like respiratory issues and discomfort.
A comfortable temperature for an AC should be somewhere in the region of 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything higher than this might feel uncomfortably warm, while anything lower could start to put a strain on the system.
To keep your temperature regulated, it is a good idea to have a programmable thermostat attached to the unit or have a unit that has a built-in thermostat. This can then adjust the temperature automatically according to the climate or according to presets that you have defined to manage the system optimally during the night or when you’re not at home.
Support Your AC
ACs have to work a lot harder to cool a space when that space is constantly being warmed by something else. For example, if you have windows that let in a significant amount of sunlight, this can undermine the AC’s ability to do its job effectively. Therefore, it is best that you keep the curtains or blinds on such windows drawn during the time of day when the sun shines through them at its most intense.
One should also keep windows and doors closed to ensure that the indoor air quality is maintained and that the climate is more easily controlled.
In addition to these tactics, you can also use ceiling fans or tabletop fans to help circulate the air around the rooms or the home, thereby also helping to reduce the amount of work that your AC system has to do.
At Chapman Air & Heat, we provide AC installation and repair and maintenance services. Contact us today to ensure your AC is in good working condition so that you can truly enjoy your summer.
