Are you doing everything you can to ensure your air conditioning (AC) lasts as long as possible? We have to admit that most of us depend on our ACs for so much more than keeping us cool on summer days.
In fact, some ACs, thanks to their air purifying features, may significantly improve the quality of your air indoors and contribute to your overall health. But to keep them in working order, they need a little TLC from time to time.
In this article, you’ll find some of the most essential tips to help you keep your AC in the best condition for as long as possible.
First, how does your AC work?
Your air conditioner works by removing warm air from inside your rooms by drawing it into the system. As the warm air flows over the cold evaporator pipes, it cools down, and the dehumidifier removes the moisture.
Next, the coolant in the chiller pipes absorbs the heat and turns the cool liquid into a warm gas. At this point, your AC pumps the warm air outside, and with the coolant that flows over the compressor unit and condenser, the warm gas turns back into a cool liquid.
Finally, the cold air is released back into and recirculated around the room, where it mixes with the air and brings down the temperature.
It’s somewhat like a fridge, but for your room, and uses a similar process.
Tips for keeping your AC in peak working condition
Now that we’ve established how your AC works, there are a few other things you need to be doing to ensure it’s working to the best of its capacity while in use.
You want to ensure it’s being maintained properly, and you need to avoid putting any unnecessary strain on your AC and prevent electrical overloads as much as you can.
Here are some tips:
1. Invest in professional maintenance twice a year
Look there’s only so much you can do to keep your AC in pristine condition; the rest needs to be taken care of by a trained professional.
Ideally, it’s optimal to get your HVAC system seen to at least twice a year. Just before winter when it starts to get cold, and in spring before you use your AC in the hotter months. Look at it as a spring clean for your AC.
By keeping up with these regular check-ups for your AC, the technician should be able to pick up on any potential issues so they can be fixed before you really need to use it often. You’ll be thankful when summer rolls around and you wont need to worry about your AC acting up.
2. Don’t forget to change the air filter regularly
Some things need to be done more frequently than others, and this includes changing your air filter. When pushing it, the longest your air filter should last before being changed is generally 90 days.
Some air filters are reusable so in that case, you’d need to just clean it properly. However, some air filters may need to be changed or cleaned more often (especially with households that have pets), so make sure to check your filter every 45 to 60 days just to make sure it’s clean.
Leaving dirty or clogged air filters can wreak havoc on your HVAC systems. For example, the airflow can be inhibited and prevent your AC from working at full capacity, or inadequate airflow can cause vital components in the AC to break down.
3. Keep entry points closed
One way to help your air conditioner work to the best of its ability is to try and reduce the temperature in the room. You can do this by keeping your doors and windows closed when the AC is in use to ensure there’s not a constant flow of warm air from outside that it needs to cool and that the cool air is circulated well.
4. Use shades and curtains
Just like we want to keep the point of entry closed, you also want to use your curtains and blinds as much as possible. Using your curtains and blinds will block the sun from heating up the rooms and will help your air conditioner run to its full potential.
5. Use the ceiling fan
Another way you can lower the temperature of your room is with a ceiling fan. When you want the best results during a sweltering hot day, have your fans running counter-clockwise at a high speed.
Not only will this help your AC do an effective job, but it’ll also help reduce your energy bills as it won’t have to work as hard or long to cool down the room (but only do this in rooms that are being occupied).
6. Switch off the lights
What do lights have to do with the AC? The lights give off heat, and as we’ve mentioned before, when you want your AC to do its job properly, minimising heat in any way is how you’re going to do it.
So, switch off the lights where necessary to reduce warmth and prevent electrical overload.
7. Avoid using energy-sucking appliances
You know, the ones we’re talking about – the fridge, dishwasher, oven, stove and TVs. While your AC is on, you really want to minimise the electricity load to help it run smoothly. We want to emphasise refraining from using the oven and stove in particular (even if they’re gas) because they give off heat.
Yes, your air conditioner can use a lot of energy, too, but would you rather be cool in the heat wave or entertained?
Final thoughts
When looking after your AC it’s not just about making sure it’s running at its best, but by doing this, you’re also ensuring its longevity.
So, ensure you clean out or change the air filters regularly, keep the rooms cool and reduce the electrical load. Not only will this help keep you cool on those hot days, but it also means you shouldn’t have to call someone for air conditioning repairs too often.