There are few routine household maintenance chores that pay off more than keeping a maintenance schedule for your air conditioning unit. Not only will you give yourself the best chance at staying cool all summer and avoiding emergency breakdowns, but you’ll also save money on your energy bills.
A well maintained AC unit will run more efficiently, use less energy, and cost less money to run. A properly maintained system will also last longer before needing to be replaced.
Importance of Air Conditioner Maintenance It should be noted that there are some tasks that can be done by the average homeowner, but others should not be performed by anyone who doesn’t have the proper training and a license. If at any time you are uncomfortable with performing maintenance tasks yourself, never hesitate to call Air Rescue Cooling and Heating to do it for you. Always observe safety precautions; and before you perform any work on your outdoor unit, ALWAYS shut down the power to the unit at your electrical box first.
AC Tip #1: Clean and/or Replace Air Filter Replacing your air conditioner air filter (or cleaning it, if you have a reusable filter) is one of the most important regular AC maintenance chores. It should be done every month during high-use seasons (like summer)
The air filter will be located either:
Behind the return air grille on a wall or ceiling in a central room of the house.
Inside the blower compartment of the air handler or furnace.
In a slot on the side, bottom, or top of your unit.
When the filter becomes full of dust, dirt and allergen particles, the air flow will decrease, making your system work harder than it should have to. The air flowing through your system may also become dirtier, dustier, and prone to triggering allergy and asthma symptoms for those residing in the home.
AC Tip #2: Examine Thermostat Check your thermostat to make sure it’s working properly and keeps your home at the right temperature. If you have an older, mechanical type thermostat, you may want to consider upgrading to a programmable model.
A programmable thermostat allows you to set the temperature higher when no one is home (do not turn the AC off, just up), and cool the house down about 30 minutes before people arrive home for the evening. That way you’ll always have a comfortable home waiting for you, and you’ll save energy and money by not having your AC running all day when no one is at home.
AC Tip #3: Clean Outside Unit Over time leaves, dirt, grass clippings will build up on the outside of the air conditioner unit, decreasing system capacity and reducing air flow.
After shutting off the power to the unit, use a garden hose to gently wash out the debris, starting at the top with the hose at about a 45° angle. Do NOT use a power washer, and take care not to bend or damage the delicate fins on the coil.
You should also trim any shrubs or other plants back from around your air conditioner to keep from impeding air flow to and from the unit.
Call Air Rescue for Professional AC Maintenance Properly maintaining your air conditioning unit will be of great benefit in terms of saving money, saving energy, and keeping you comfortable during the hottest days of the summer.
Air Rescue Cooling & Heating will always be more than happy to help you with any and all of your air conditioning needs. We can also check your air conditioner and perform additional maintenance tasks on an annual basis that will ensure your AC unit performs as efficiently as possible for as many years as possible.