8 Things You Need To Know About Air Conditioning

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There is nothing like entering your house and being comforted with cool air after a hard day’s work, thanks to your air conditioning system.

But to continue enjoying that delightful coolness every day, you must know how to take care of your AC. Here are 8 of the most important things that you need to know about maintaining your AC, no matter what type they are.

Detect Air Leaks and Fix Them

When you have air leaks in your system, it can reduce its efficiency and increase your power bills. These breaks in the ducts or window frame (in the case of window AC units) are oftentimes very minute and hard to detect. To find them, just light an incense stick or use a smoke pen and pass it through the ducts or the window frame, and should the smoke move, it means that there is a break in that area. You can insert foam in the space between the unit and the frame or cover the ducts with foil tape.

Make Sure to Use a Timer

Using a timer is a must if you want to keep your air conditioning system from overworking itself and at the same time helping you save money in your power bills. Most new window AC units already contain built-in timers in them, and ducted AC systems have a thermostat that monitors temperature. You can program your system to cool during the period of the day when you are present and stop working when you are not around.

Regularly Change Your AC’s Filters

To maintain your AC system’s efficient performance, it is necessary to regularly replace your filters. But if you have washable filters, you can just regularly wash them. In choosing filters, buy ones with a high MERV number or minimum efficiency reporting value, as they provide better filtration.

Ensure Airflow

Keeping the room doors inside your house shut can cause an imbalance in your air conditioning system, especially if it is a ducted one. This is why it is important that you maintain proper airflow inside your house. So, if you want a little ‘you-time’, just keep the doors slightly open.

Keep It Cool

In order to extend your AC’s life, keep blinds or shades down at daytime and install awnings so that windows that face the south get a shield from the extreme sunlight. Aside from that, allow cooled air to circulate more effectively by running the AC along with floor or ceiling fans.

The hotter the temperature of your room, the harder your AC needs to work and the poorer its performance becomes. So to keep your house from heating up, use blinds or heavy curtains to cover the windows that get direct sunlight most of the day. Using fans can also help circulate the cool air better.

Wrap to Insulate

If you are using a ducted AC system, it cannot be avoided that some ducts can run through attics or spaces that have higher temperature. To keep the air passing inside those ducts from becoming warm, it is wise to properly insulate them, either with foam insulation or wraps, and cover them with foil tape.

Protect Your Compressor and Condenser

Also keep in mind to protect your compressor and condenser especially that they are mostly situated outside of your house and are exposed to many different conditions. Make sure that there is a wide space between them and nearby bushes, shrubs, or grass, maybe about 20-25 inches. Shielding them from direct sunlight is also a must to maintain the unit’s efficiency.

Schedule Regular Maintenance for Your Unit

Always remember to schedule and check up on your dealer or a local AC expert for an annual overall maintenance check for your whole system. Make sure that this check is scheduled before the summer season so that you can fully enjoy the coolness provided by your AC when the sun is hot up in the sky.