The summer has finally hit and now you are spending more time
indoors with the air conditioner on. You have the thermostat set on 75
degrees and are feeling pretty good until you realize that its getting
hotter inside. Before you know it, it is 90 degrees in your house and
you are calling the air conditioning repair company. Problem is that it
is the busy season and they may not be able to get to you for a week.
What a disaster. The sad thing is that this could have probably all
been prevented with a little maintenance.
To have a smooth running HVAC system, you need to have a program of regular maintenance. Before every cooling season, have an air
conditioning service
come check your system. It is usually a minimum charge and can save you
hundreds of dollars by catching problems early. It will also prevent
the aggravation of having no air conditioning.
In a normal A/C service check, the company will perform the following
tests. They will check the condensing unit’s coils, the compressor, the
belts, operating pressures, operating temperatures and the Freon level.
They will typically oil any components that need oil such as the fan
and condenser. The cost of the service is usually fairly cheap and most
companies will also run specials in the spring. Keep an eye out for a
sale flyer.
There are also things that you yourself can do to help maintain your
homes HVAC system. The most important thing of course is to change your
air filter often. They only cost a buck or two and protect not only
your air quality but also keep dirt from clogging your AC coils.
Replace them at least once a month. Another simple thing you can do is
to hose off your outside AC compressor. At least once a month, take a
hose and rinse off the unit to clear it of dirt, dust, grass clippings
and leaves. If the unit becomes clogged, it will have to work much
harder to get your home cool. Lastly, do not turn your unit off
completely in the summer. Instead, turn the temperature up when you
leave your home. Turning it off will just mean that your AC will have
to work incredibly hard when you get home to cool off your house.
That’s all it takes to have a reliable A/C system. Through simple
maintenance and regular checkups, you can have a system that serves you
well for years to come.

About the Author

James C operates a website providing Home Improvement Tips.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 11th, 2006 at 7:10 am and is filed under Heat Pump Research. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.