Air conditioning is quickly becoming an essential need rather than a mere luxury. With the temperatures slowly going higher and higher more and more people are relying on air conditioning to provide relief from the squelching summer heat. Your air conditioning unit works extra hard in the summer time to cool your home, but there are some things you can do to make that work easier and avoid unnecessary central air conditioning repair bills.
Air Filters
Everyone has heard this, but it is extremely important for your heating and air unit and to avoid central air conditioning repair. Dirty filters stress your unit and cause it to work harder than normal. Many home air conditioning repair problems can be avoided with maintenance such as changing filters on a regular basis. HVAC specialist recommending changing filters once a month during the hottest part of the summer when your unit is working overtime to cool your building or house.
Clean Up
Many people understand the importance of keeping their yard clean from a roadside perspective, but it goes way beyond that. Cutting and weeding grass around your AC unit helps it work more efficiently and helps to keep central air conditioning repair costs down. Keeping the outside area of your unit clean helps it function better providing more cold air and heat to your home when it is needed. Mow grass around the unit and direct the flow of cut grass away from the unit when cutting.
Drain Lines
This a typical spot that many homeowners overlook, but this can be maintained yourself to keep your AC unit working properly. Air from the room gets drawn in and blown across coils that have coolant inside them then the air is returned to the room and the house. Condensation from the coils collects and drips down into a pan that is located beneath your unit. This water travels through a PVC pipe into your yard so it doesn’t accumulate inside your home. This pipe is small in diameter and can easily become clogged with yard waste and mold or mildew from the water it transports. Cleaning this pipe on a regular basis keeps your unit working properly and with ease.
Home Sealing
Seal up any gaps or cracks you notice in your house. Many people do not realize just how much air these cracks and gaps allow to escape. Homes loose around 5% of their cooled air or heated air through these tiny gaps and cracks. Repair or apply cocking to any visible gaps or cracks around windows, doors and the home interior.
Insulation
Insulation plays a particularly important role in keeping your unit working properly and containing comfortable air within your home. Insulation is considered the best way to keep from wasting energy and causing your unit to run unnecessarily during extreme cold and hot spells. Approximately 20$ of every dollar spent on energy costs escapes through the attic. Apply proper insulation to attic areas and other areas where cold and hot air can escape and cause your unit to run non-stop.
Windows
Lots of air escapes through uncovered windows. Windows without window dressings also allow cold and hot air in. The mixture of air coming in with air escaping can cause your unit to run repeatedly during extremely hot or cold spells. This puts a strain on your unit possibly causing the need for central air conditioning repair. Helping your unit work more efficiently reduces the chances that you will run into problems later on down the line.
With these simple routine maintenance tips you can help your unit cool more efficiently and work properly without breaking down. Keeping up with routine maintenance will extend the life of your unit, but no unit lasts forever. Many units that are over 12 years old or are needing frequent repair will benefit from being totally replaced, but these tips will help you get the most out of your unit until that time comes.
