3 Things You Shouldn’t Do to Your Air Conditioner
If you take good care of your home’s air conditioner, it should give you approximately 15 years of trouble-free service. Just like other types of mechanical equipment, though, the A/C needs regular care and maintenance to perform at its best. If it’s not well maintained, you’ll have to contend with higher energy consumption, more frequent repairs and even a shorter equipment life span. In order to keep it operating reliably at optimal efficiency, there are three things you shouldn’t do to your air conditioner.
Make Repeated Thermostat Adjustments
If you have to constantly fiddle with the thermostat to maintain a comfortable temperature, you’re increasing the A/C’s workload and the risk of costly repairs or premature component failures. Instead, install more insulation and seal air leaks in your home’s envelope to increase comfort and save energy. You can also install a programmable thermostat and use it to make daily temperature adjustments around your usual routine.
Forget Air Filter Changes
A dirty air filter can reduce critical airflow over the evaporator, which can lead to coil icing and lower cooling output. These operating conditions also place extra strain on the A/C compressor, causing a premature failure. To prevent these problems and slash your cooling energy consumption by up to 15 percent, check the filter monthly and clean or replace it when it’s dirty.
Neglect Annual Maintenance
To keep the air conditioner running reliably and efficiently, have an HVAC professional perform annual maintenance before the start of each cooling season. If a yearly tuneup isn’t done, an A/C can lose 5 percent of its cooling capacity each season. Regular maintenance also gives a professional the opportunity to catch and correct minor problems before they escalate into inconvenient breakdowns and expensive repairs.
To learn more things you shouldn’t do to your air conditioner, contact us at Sobieski Services, Inc.
Our goal is to help our customers in Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey learn more about energy and home comfort issues – especially HVAC and plumbing issues – so they can save money and live in healthier, more comfortable homes.
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