Air conditioning is聽important聽for聽countless聽homes during the聽sweltering聽summer months in聽the U.S.. However, the聽costs聽associated with running an AC are substantial.聽Find out聽how聽regular聽air conditioning service can聽decrease聽AC repair costs, and聽adopt聽energy-saving habits to help your unit run more efficiently. With these tips, you’ll聽enjoy聽a comfortable home this summer without聽spending a lot.

What Routine AC Service聽Entails

Air conditioning maintenance聽is聽a reasonably priced, predictable聽yearly聽bill聽that pays you back by聽lowering聽repair costs and聽lengthening聽your unit’s life span. Here are some聽significant聽maintenance steps that help聽prevent聽air conditioner breakdowns:

Swap out聽the air filter: A dirty filter聽slows down聽airflow and聽makes聽your air conditioner to work harder,聽utilizing聽more energy and increasing the risk of overheating.聽Changing聽your air conditioner’s dirty air filter with a clean one as part of your聽yearly聽maintenance聽visit, and every 30 to 90 days throughout the year,聽encourages聽optimal聽airflow and efficiency.
Clean the condenser coil: The聽outside聽condenser coil聽releases聽heat聽absorbed聽by the refrigerant. If it’s聽caked in聽cobwebs, grass clippings and other debris, the heat transfer process is聽impaired. Cleaning the condenser coil聽improves聽the unit’s聽efficiency聽significantly, reducing wear and tear on your air conditioner that could聽lead to聽breakdowns.
Straighten the coils’ fins: The aluminum fins on the evaporator and condenser coils can become bent,聽cutting down on the聽airflow and聽decreasing聽performance.聽聽Correcting聽the fins with a fin comb聽rearranges聽them to their original position to聽reestablish聽correct聽airflow.
Lubricate moving parts: Friction in the motor and other moving聽components聽produces聽heat and causes聽undue聽wear and tear.聽聽Consistent聽lubrication聽minimizes聽friction, ensuring smooth operation and聽cutting down on聽the need for repairs.
Check聽refrigerant levels: A low refrigerant charge is another聽reason聽why your AC can freeze up,聽causing聽longer run times, comfort problems and聽preventable聽AC repairs.聽A technician聽uses聽specific聽tools to聽check聽and聽change聽refrigerant levels as needed to聽assure聽proper聽operation聽and prevent a mid-season breakdown.

Other Ways to Reduce AC Repair Costs

Yearly聽maintenance is聽an important聽factor in聽reducing聽AC repair聽expenditures, but here are some other聽tips聽to help your聽AC unit聽operate聽dependably聽all summer long:

Turn the temperature up:聽Increasing聽the thermostat setting聽limits聽the wear and tear on your聽cooling system.聽聽Find聽a comfortable temperature and avoid聽setting the thermostat any lower.
Invest in聽a programmable thermostat: When set correctly, a programmable thermostat helps聽regulate聽your home’s temperature聽more effectively, reducing the聽pressure聽on your AC unit.聽It's a good idea聽to聽set聽setback periods of 7 to 10 degrees while you’re away or sleeping to聽conserve聽on energy costs and further聽reduce聽wear and tear.
Seal air leaks: Gaps and cracks聽around聽windows and doors聽let聽warm, humid air聽inside.聽Use聽caulk and weatherstripping to avoid聽overburdening聽your聽air conditioning unit.
Put in additional聽insulation:聽A proper聽attic insulation聽level聽encourages聽consistent聽indoor temperatures and聽reduces聽your AC’s workload. If you can聽spot聽the attic floor or joists poking through the聽insulation you already have in your home, add more.
Block聽solar heat gain: The sun’s heat warms your home, increasing聽the demand on your AC system.聽Installing聽window coverings and聽closing聽the blinds or shades during the聽hottest times of the day聽blocks solar heat gain and lowers the聽chance聽of a mid-season breakdown.
Try using聽ceiling fans: The wind chill effect聽provided聽by ceiling fans makes聽a聽room feel about 4 degrees cooler,聽which enables聽you to raise the thermostat setting without聽losing聽comfort.聽It's a good idea聽to聽switch聽the fan off when you leave the room, as fans cool people, not spaces.
Use a dehumidifier: For those who聽are located聽in a humid part of聽North America,聽increased聽humidity levels聽might聽make your home feel cool but clammy,聽encouraging聽you to聽turn down the temperature. A聽whole-house dehumidifier聽takes out聽excessive聽moisture, giving your聽air conditioner聽a much-needed break.
Clean your vents: Closed or聽covered聽air vents throw off the balance of return and supply air, which聽can聽cause your聽air conditioning聽to break down. To avoid this,聽always keep聽at least 80 percent of your registers open, and make sure no furniture, curtains or rugs聽inadvertently聽obstruct聽airflow.聽Enhance聽circulation further by聽making sure doors between rooms are open聽as much as possible.
Install聽an energy-efficient air conditioner: If your聽air conditioner聽is more than 10 years old,聽consider聽upgrading to a more energy-efficient聽design. In addition to聽improved聽efficiency, a new system is also聽far less likely聽to break down or聽experience聽maintenance issues than an older unit,聽lowering聽your repair聽expenses聽in the long run.

Schedule聽AC Service聽in聽the U.S.

By investing in聽regular聽air conditioning maintenance and聽implementing聽other recommended home-cooling habits, you’ll enjoy a comfortable interior with聽lower聽repair costs this summer. 黑料社区 offers聽quality聽air conditioner聽tune-ups to聽maximize聽efficiency and聽prolong聽your air conditioner’s life span. We can also聽upgrade your AC unit聽if yours is聽past its prime.