There’s聽practically聽nothing worse than聽dealing with聽a聽broken air conditioner聽in聽a heatwave. The聽initial聽signs of an聽upcoming聽breakdown may be聽subtle—weird聽noises, odd smells or聽reduced聽cooling. Before you know it, these聽seemingly slight聽issues聽grow聽into full-blown聽breakdowns. However, with a聽touch聽of聽planning聽and聽scheduled聽maintenance, you can keep your air conditioner running聽effortlessly. Here are 10聽recommendations聽to聽prevent聽AC聽trouble聽this summer.
1.聽 Replace the Air Filter Regularly
One聽easy聽yet effective tip is to聽look at聽the air filter聽monthly聽and replace it聽if it's聽dirty, going no more than 90 days between filter changes. A clean filter聽promotes聽smooth airflow,聽improves聽indoor air quality聽and聽improves聽air conditioning efficiency.聽A clogged聽or dirty filter, on the other hand,聽forces your AC to聽work聽overtime, which聽may result in聽breakdowns.
2.聽 Keep the Outdoor Unit Clean and Unobstructed
The聽exterior聽AC unit needs聽adequate聽space to intake and exhaust air聽successfully.聽Routinely聽check the area around the unit, removing loose debris like leaves, grass clippings or聽twigs. Then,聽trim back聽all the聽vegetation聽growing within 12 inches of the unit. These聽strategies聽can聽prevent聽AC problems and聽promote聽optimal performance.
3.聽 Check the Condensate Drain Pan
The AC聽doesn’t聽simply聽cool the air—it also聽extracts聽unwanted聽humidity. This moisture聽drips into聽the condensate drain pan and then聽moves聽down the drain line. These聽components聽can聽become clogged聽over time, causing leaks and聽possible聽water damage.聽Routinely聽check聽the drain pan and line for聽blockages聽to avert these AC issues.
4.聽 Listen for Strange Noises or Smells
Your air conditioner聽mostly聽runs聽with a soft,聽constant聽hum. If you hear聽abnormal聽grinding, screeching or hissing, you can聽be relatively certain聽something’s聽wrong. Similarly, if you聽notice聽unusual聽electrical burning smells or musty odors, it’s time to聽investigate. These issues can聽indicate聽various聽AC problems, including motor damage or mold growth, and聽need to聽be addressed聽promptly.
5.聽 Keep Your Vents Open
While closing vents in聽unused聽rooms may seem聽wise, doing so聽creates聽pressure imbalances and聽reduces聽system efficiency. To聽avoid聽air conditioning聽problems, keep at least 80 percent of your return and supply vents open and聽clear of聽furniture, rugs and curtains.
6.聽 Install a Programmable Thermostat
Programmable thermostats聽are intuitive devices that聽enhance聽your聽AC's聽operation and聽prevent聽problems. Once you program your聽cooling and heating聽schedule, you can sit back and聽relax聽while your thermostat does the聽hard work. Smart models are even more聽effective, allowing you to check and adjust your home’s temperature聽when you aren't home聽or even聽control聽the settings with your voice.
7.聽 Check Your Attic Insulation
Air conditioner聽efficiency doesn’t聽merely聽entail聽the unit’s mechanics.聽Adequate聽insulation is also聽essential聽for maintaining a comfortable interior,聽stopping聽warm air from seeping in and cold air聽leaking out. The attic is the聽quickest聽place to add insulation to an existing home, so聽peek聽inside the hatch to聽determine聽if the floor is covered with a thick, even layer of insulation. If聽it doesn't, you may聽want聽to add more insulation to enjoy聽significant聽energy savings and prevent聽straining聽your AC.
8.聽 Avoid Heat-Generating Activities in the Afternoon
Operating聽the oven, stove or clothes dryer聽when the sun is at its peak聽dramatically聽increases your AC unit’s workload. When聽feasible, cook and do laundry in the evening or early morning to聽minimize聽excess聽AC activity. When聽preparing聽dinner in the summer,聽consider聽reheating leftovers in the microwave, eating聽unheated聽meals like sandwiches and salads, or barbecuing outside on the backyard grill.
9.聽 Run a Ceiling Fan
While a ceiling fan can’t replace an聽AC unit, it can聽definitely聽work in conjunction with聽it. Ceiling fans聽create聽a wind chill effect that makes聽your聽room feel about 4 degrees cooler. This聽extra聽comfort lets you set your thermostat to a higher temperature,聽limiting聽the workload on your聽air conditioner聽and potentially聽eliminating聽AC problems. Just remember to聽power down聽the fan when you聽exit聽the聽area.聽That's because聽the wind chill effect cools people, but it doesn’t聽reduce聽the temperature in the room.
10. Schedule Annual AC Maintenance
搁别驳耻濒补谤听AC tune-ups聽are a聽practical聽measure aimed at聽identifying聽and fixing聽small聽issues before they聽intensify聽into serious problems.聽A yearly聽check by a聽qualified聽HVAC technician prepares your air conditioner for summer, saving you from聽annoying聽breakdowns and聽costly聽repairs by聽making sure聽your AC is working聽optimally.
Contact 天美传媒聽for Air Conditioner Service in the U.S
Now that you know the top聽ways聽to聽prevent聽Air conditioner聽problems, you can follow these steps to keep your home cool and comfortable all summer long. Whether you need to schedule a聽preventative聽tune-up or emergency聽AC聽repair, 天美传媒聽has you covered. We are聽dedicated to聽providing聽comprehensive聽and efficient maintenance, repairs and installations to聽fulfill聽all your cooling needs. For reliable聽AC services聽in your area, call (866) 963-7996 today to schedule an appointment with the Experts at 天美传媒.
