As any health expert will tell you, it's never too late to start exercising, eating more fruits and vegetables and reducing your salt intake. Good health habits start the day you really want them to. Since Experts In Your Home considers itself the attending “physician” of our customers' air conditioners, we know that it's never too late to start caring for the health of your air conditioning system.
Yes, it would be nice if we could reverse the accumulation of bad habits – and even neglect. But the best air conditioning habits can start the day you really want them to as well.
You can extend the expected lifespan of your air conditioner – generally about 15 years – by practicing sensible air conditioner maintenance habits. And like someone who feels better because they're eating better, your air conditioner will run more efficiently when you put these seven simple habits into action.
Begin today by:
1. Scheduling your annual air conditioner tune-up.
We've written extensively about how your air conditioner is one complicated piece of machinery and therefore prone to malfunctions. Cleaning the system is vital. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends:
- Checking for the correct amount of refrigerant
- Testing for refrigerant leaks
- Checking for and sealing duct leaks
- Measuring airflow through the evaporator coil
- Verifying the correct electric control sequence and making sure that the heating system and cooling system cannot operate simultaneously
- Inspecting the electric terminals
- Cleaning and tightening connections
- Oiling all moving parts
- Checking the belts
- Verifying the accuracy of the thermostat
2. Checking your air filter regularly, or about once a month.
True, you might have to replace it only once every three months, but it's probably just a matter of time before you remove the filter and realize just how much dirt became trapped inside.
A filthy filter will cause your air conditioning system to run longer to cool down your house, and that's a waste of energy. By contrast, “replacing a dirty, clogged filter with a clean one can lower your air conditioner's energy consumption by 5 to 15 percent,” the department of energy says.
Furthermore, the restricted air flow caused by a dirty filter could cause your air conditioner to shut down – and that reality has set off panic in customers who feared they would have to replace their entire air conditioning system (and not just the filter).
Purchase several filters the next time you go to your favorite home improvement store so that you're never caught unprepared.
3. Calling a service company immediately if you suspect something is wrong with your air conditioner.
Strange noises rarely go “bump” in the night and then disappear by day. In fact, clinks, bangs and hissing noises almost always signal a cry for help in the form of a repair. So do the presence of puddles, ice and mold near your air conditioner or on the registers. Delaying repairs usually translates to higher repair bills, not to mention needless wear and tear on your air conditioner.
4. Rinsing off the aluminum fins on the condensing unit with a hose after removing grass, leaves and other debris.
Here, too, dirt can impugn the efficiency of your air conditioning system. Be sure to turn your hose to a slow or moderate stream; exerting the force of a pressure washer can damage the fins.
5. Remaining vigilant about the 2-foot clear zone around the condenser and 8 feet above it.
Plants, shrubs and trees can grow quickly in Chico, California, and all of them can interfere with the breathing room your air conditioner needs to function at its best.
6. Occasionally running a wire, such as an extended coat hanger, through the condensate drain channel.
A clogged drain can set off myriad problems, especially cooling and humidity problems in your home.
7. Checking the registers in your home periodically to ensure that they aren't blocked.
If this sounds like a waste of time, you might wish to reconsider. Registers in children's rooms could be obstructed by piles of clothes and toys. This scenario can be rather ageless, too, for homeowners who were so enthused about the arrival of new furniture that they unwittingly obstruct the registers as they devised a floor plan. When a register is blocked, cool air is blocked, too.
As one complicated system, your air conditioner might be an object of mystery or confusion to you. So allow Experts In Your Home to answer your questions and demystify it so that you can start exercising these proactive air conditioning habits today.
Like someone newly dedicated to their health, you can reap the benefits of being newly dedicated to the health of your air conditioning system.
