Your AC unit can be a lifesaver on a hot summer day. As the temperatures get higher and higher, our need for a balancing force seems to grow exponentially. Having an AC system is a necessity for many households, but this asset can devolve into a headache if it isn’t properly taken care of. The need to maintain your AC in your home cannot be overstated. Far too often, people feel AC is a “set it and forget it” kind of system. However, it is actually a delicate, complex mechanism that needs regular care. The best way to make sure your AC is getting the love it needs is to have a professional AC technician come in and check it out. There are several reasons to check your AC on a regular basis and also compelling reasons to make sure it is done by a pro. Here are some tips to help you make sure you take great care of the system that takes such good care of you in the summer time.
It Must Run Efficiently
Your air conditioning system needs to be able to operate at capacity during the times when you need it most. As it pulls in air, it takes the heat out of it and gives you cooler air that in turn drops the temperature in your home. An understanding of how this works will help explain why it is so important to make sure the unit is running efficiently. AC units depend on cooling coils to extract heat from the air. The air begins in your home and is then sucked into the unit via a fan. Once inside, it goes past coils filled with cooling liquid. As the air passes through this area, the heat is drawn out from it. Once the heat has been taken out, it gets outputted via a fan that blows it outside. If you’ve ever been outside and walked by an AC unit that is running, you will feel the warm air coming from it. The heat in that air is the heat that was extracted from the warm air inside the building the rest of the AC unit is cooling. The cooled down air is sent back into the building and those inside feel cooler air as a result. This process happens continuously. As the air travels, it passes through filters that help keep dust, dirt and undesirable things from unnecessarily affecting those inside.
You can probably already see why a failure of one part of the system could result in striking inefficiencies. Take, for example the coils that cool the air. If the liquid isn’t properly dispersed inside them, or if the unit needs to be charged with fresh cooling liquid, when the air passes by the deficient coils, the heat will not be properly extracted from it. This creates an inefficiency. The air will likely feel cooler when it comes out, but that doesn’t mean it’s as cool as it should be. Because your thermostat is set at a certain temperature, your AC unit will have to stay on longer in order to bring the room down to the desired range. This results in an overworked AC unit and significantly higher electricity bills. It would be wise to have someone come look at it and give you the CC repair you need.
The Right—and Clean–Filters
The filters in your AC unit cannot be taken for granted. The filtration system helps keep the air clean. Excessive dust is caught in the filters, which blocks it from entering your home. Filters are in several areas of HVAC systems for this same reason. A residential AC unit is going to run better with the proper filter, and it needs to be clean. If not, the movement of air can be restricted, and the cycle of air going in, out, and being sent back into your home will be interrupted.
Is Your System Efficient Enough?
The cost of electricity is significant enough to often justify an upgrade to a higher efficiency system. Also, in some areas, you can get a rebate from your utility company for as much as $400. Having a pro come and check if you can benefit from this and other maintenance is well worth the money.