Since you paid a lot of money for your air conditioning system, I’m sure you want it to run efficiently for as long as possible. To ensure this happens, we’ve put together a list of things you, as a homeowner, can do!
- Change Your Filters Regularly
Multiple issues can occur if your air filter isn’t changed regularly…
For one, it can negatively affect the efficiency of your system, which in turn, will negatively affect your comfort. Here’s how: over time, your filter will become clogged with dirt and debris. As a result of this, your system will have less airflow, which means it’ll strain itself to keep up. This results in you not getting the air quality you want because the debris will get blown into your house. And you won’t have the quantity of air you need, which means less comfort.
One more thing about air filters: a lot of people think that if they have three-month filters on their systems, they should change them every three months. That’s true… sometimes. For example, if you have pets or live near a dirt road, you’ll want to change that three-month filter every month or so.
- Wash Your Coils
Your outdoor unit, otherwise known as your condenser, should be cleaned every once in a while. It seems like a small thing, but it can increase the efficiency of your system.
Normally, the outer frame of a condenser looks like a cage or a metal frame with slits in it. Right behind these frames is the coil, which is the thing you need to clean. If you looked at it up close, you’d see that it looks like a series of thin, vertical aluminum fins.
To clean these fins, you’ll need a garden hose with good water pressure. You want the pressure to be strong enough to knock loose dirt and debris but not so much that it bends your fins. With that, we’d caution against using a pressure washer. If you have a cage frame, bring your hose close to the fins and spray between the bars of the cage. If your unit has a frame with slits in it, then spray up into the slits. In both cases, you’ll want to use a sweeping motion, as if you were cleaning the fins with a big brush.
- Keep All Your Vents Open
Many homeowners believe they can get more air into a certain room or set of rooms if they shut some of their vents. They think this will result in their having extra air which they can channel into more desirable rooms. Unfortunately, HVAC systems aren’t designed to run like that. Here’s what happens, your system will be forced to shut on and off more frequently, which will cost you more in electricity bills. And that extra air can build up in your ducts which is known to cause leaks or make already existing leaks worse.
- Get Regular Tune-Ups
You should have your system tuned up twice a year: once right before summer, once right before winter. There are two major reasons you should do this. First, if you’re the original owner of the system, by having maintenance performed on it, you’ll retain your parts and/or labor warranty.
Some of the major HVAC system manufacturers used to be relaxed about sending homeowners free replacement parts if their systems broke down. But now, before they send you parts, they want to see proof that you’ve had a technician perform maintenance on your system. This change occurred because these manufacturers have been negatively affected by supply chain shortages.
The second reason you want to have maintenance performed on your system is for the knowledge and foresight a skilled technician will offer you. They’ll take a look at the various components of your system and then tell you which parts need replacing to increase performance or avoid a future breakdown.
Absolute Heat & Air is your go-to company for HVAC system repairs and tune-ups! To schedule our services, click here.
