There are plenty of household chores that are essential in the successful running of your home. One of these chores that pay off the most is scheduling regular air conditioner maintenance.
When your air conditioner runs as efficiently as possible, it will use less energy to run, which means a decrease in your energy bills. Also, when your air conditioner is serviced every year, there is less risk of breakdowns, increasing the unit’s lifespan.
If you are looking at your air conditioner and aren’t sure if it is due for repair, inspect it. If you can spot issues early, it will prevent expensive repair costs later.
What You Should Know About Air Conditioning Maintenance
There are some air conditioner maintenance tasks that you can handle yourself; however, if there is a technical or if you believe you may need ac repair, it is best to leave the job to the professionals.
If you believe that you can handle specific jobs on your own, be sure to observe all safety warnings. You also want to make sure that the power is turned off in the electrical box before you begin working on your air conditioner.
We will give you some tips to help keep your air conditioning system running correctly and as inexpensively as possible.
Tip 1: Install a Smart Thermostat
If you are using an outdated thermostat, it could be costing you more money than you know. If you aren’t going to be at home all day, you can set the thermostat to raise the temperature in the house when you leave. You can also set it to turn down automatically when you are ready to head home. This will prevent you from wasting energy when there is nobody at home. This will ensure that the house is cold when you arrive home, but you won’t waste electricity by running the AC all day.
If you want to get the most out of your Smart thermostat, you should go with one that monitors and reports your energy use. This will let you see where and when you use the most energy so that you can make some changes.
Tip 2: Clean or Replace Your Air Filters
It is essential that replace your air filters when they get dirty. If you have a reusable air filter, make sure that you check it regularly. During high use seasons like summer and winter, you should check the air filter every month. During spring and fall, the low use seasons, you should check the air filter every other month. If you aren’t sure where your air filter is located, there are a few places that you can check.
*Behind the return air grille on a wall, in the ceiling, or in a house’s central room.
*Inside the blower compartment
*In a slot located at the bottom of the furnace, on the side or at the top.
If you don’t keep your air filter clean and fills up with dirt and dust particles, it can decrease the home’s airflow. This will require your system to work harder to reach the desired temperature in the house. Also, the air that does flow into the house will be loaded with dust and dirt, which results in poor air quality in your home. If a family member has asthma, allergies, or other respiratory illnesses, dirty air filters can trigger their symptoms.
If you want the best air quality, you should install a high-quality air filter. If you buy an inexpensive fiberglass filter, it won’t capture tiny particles such as pollen, viruses, and bacteria.
If you go with a pleated filter, you should check the MERV rating. MERV stands for Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value. If the MERV rating is high, it will be able to collect more airborne pollutants. In residential homes, the filters range from 1 MERV to 12 MERV. 1 is what you can expect from a window air conditioner, and 12 is considered superior. In some cases, you are better off installing a filtration system. If you like in a dusty region, if you have pets or if any member of your family has a respiratory illness, filtration systems would be better for you than a standard filtered system. American Standard’s AccuClean Whole-Home Air Filtration System is an excellent option. It can remove up to 99.98 percent of airborne pollutants from home, and it comes with a reusable filter.
Tip 3: Check the Outside Unit
Over time, grass clippings, leaves, dirt, and branches can build up outside the outdoor unit. When this happens, it decreases the unit’s capacity, and it will reduce the airflow. If there are just a few leaves or branches near the unit, you can just move them away. If anything is growing too close to the outdoor unit, you should consider having it removed. It will be a lot to keep up with if you are always going outside to trim the bush or shrub down. You might be better off removing it, which will give your condenser all of the room that it needs.
If you want to clean the entire area, there are a few things that you need to do. First, turn off the power to the unit. This can be done either by using the service disconnect button on the outdoor unit, or you can turn off the power to the home’s main breaker.
To clean the unit, use a garden hose to gently wash away the debris, starting at the top and working our way down. You should never use a powerwasher. This can cause damage to the unit. The force of the water can bend or damage the delicate coils and fins. Finally, check the aluminum cooling fans on the compressor. To be sure that they are working correctly, they need to be straight. If they aren’t, you might need to call a professional in ac repair.
If there are any bushes or shrubs around the outdoor unit, make sure that they are trimmed down and won’t affect the airflow.
Tip 4: Check the Wiring and Other Components
If your AC is going to work correctly, the internal connections need to be functioning correctly. If there is something wrong with the wiring or components, it could increase your energy bills. It is a good idea to check the wiring and components every year.
*Check the wiring inside the AC: After turning off the power to the condenser, open it up. This will allow you to see if there are any signs of overheating. If you see melted insulation on the wires or wires that are black or burned out, you have a problem. If you have an electrical test meter, it can help check the unit’s capacitor.
If you believe that there are wiring or component issues, you should call an HVAC tech to make the necessary repairs.
Tip 5: Check the Fan Inside the Condenser
If the condenser’s fan blades are in poor condition, it will make it challenging to keep your home cool. To check the condition of the fan blades, turn off the power to the unit. Next, check the fan that is mounted at the top of the unit’s condenser. If the blades have any chips or cracks, it is time to replace the fan. If you are handy, you might be able to find the fan on Amazon. If not, and HVAC tech can replace it for you.
Call a Professional
If you aren’t sure if you can handle your annual ac maintenance, you should call a professional. Professional ac maintenance can prevent a complete breakdown during the hottest days of the year. Before the cooling season begins, you should have your ac maintained. Before the heating season begins, you should have your furnace maintained.
During a professional maintenance visit, the HVAC tech will give your ac system a complete tuneup. They will check all of the internal parts, and they will replace any parts that are worn out. A professional HVAC tech will be able to stop issues that you may not even notice. While it is acceptable to do your own checks throughout the year, you also need to schedule annual maintenance checks with a professional.
If the tech discovers that your system has reached its maximum lifespan, it will be cheaper, in the long run, to have the system replaced. An air conditioner that has reached its maximum lifespan will cost you more money in energy bills because it won’t run as efficiently as it s
hould. By replacing the unit, you will notice a significant drop in your energy bill. The American Standard HVAC AccuComfort Variable Speed Air Conditioner is a great replacement option. This unit will provide maximum comfort and cooling while keeping your family comfortable at a reasonable operating cost. An HVAC tech can answer any questions that you have regarding this system or your existing system.