Most often, people don’t have to interact with their ACs a whole lot. The thermostats tell the systems when to turn on and off, so the cooling process is mainly on autopilot. However, there are several frequent mistakes that homeowners make when they do have to engage with their air conditioners that can have a significant impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of your system. In this article, we consulted a professional in AC repair in Spring TX. Here are their tips on what mistakes to avoid.
1. Ignoring Sizing Requirements
HVAC pros https://kacexpress.com/carefully size air conditioning units to match the number of cubic feet in a new building. When buying a new air conditioner or remodeling your home, be sure the unit fits the area adequately. When you install an air conditioner that is rated for a smaller space than your home, it has to work extra hard to cool the air. Overworked air conditioners wear down faster and struggle to keep up with the thermostat’s demands. An air conditioner that is rated for a larger room than you have turns on and off frequently, wearing out itself and becoming unreliable over time. This makes it best to choose the air conditioner that fits your room space.
- Never Cleaning Fins and Coils
The evaporators within the house and the condensers outside use air conditioner coils and fins to absorb and release heat. This process of transporting heat is critical, but it is hampered by layers of dust and filth. If you don’t clean your coils regularly, the filth reduces efficiency and costs you money in energy bills. Clean your air conditioner at the start of the summer and check it periodically, especially after storms or high winds, to ensure that your coils and fins remain clear.
- Ignoring Your Air Filter
The air filter in your home filters out dust, allergens, and other contaminants from the air that passes through it. These light cardboard-and-wire structures must be replaced regularly. After about six months, the filter becomes so clogged with dirt that air has a hard time getting through, and the machine can no longer perform its job. This not only adds to the dust in your home but also reduces the airflow (and hence the efficiency) of your air conditioner.
Simply replacing a dirty filter can reduce your air conditioner’s energy consumption by five to fifteen percent. As a result, replace your filter at least twice a year. Also, remember to check and replace it after dusty activities such as cleaning ducts, a major demolition, or refinishing a wood floor.
- Not Updating (or Setting) Your Thermostat
In today’s technology climate, you may regard programmable thermostats with a yawn, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have one. Programmable thermostats allow you to set settings for different periods of the day, saving you money and allowing you to manage your cooling without having to constantly monitor it. Many modern thermostats, such as Google’s Nest, can remember your home’s routines and adjust the temperature to meet repeated schedules. It also has an app that allows you to control the temperature.
If you don’t have one of these programmable or “smart” thermostats, now is the time to get one! A simple thermostat replacement can save you money and provide more accurate cooling, especially if your current thermostat is several decades old.
- Not Checking Your Drain
Many air conditioning systems have drains that collect condensation and route it outside of the house, preventing moisture problems. These drains are sometimes ignored, yet they play a crucial role. A clogged and overflowing drain is terrible news for your air conditioning system, and it’s even worse for the flooring and walls around it, which can be permanently damaged. So keep your drain line clean and consider snaking it with a wire once or twice a year to prevent muck buildup.
- Setting the Temperature Too Low
This widespread blunder dates back decades when many households lacked a basic understanding of how air conditioners functioned. People regularly adjusted their thermostats down to the lowest setting, believing that this would allow the space to cool more quickly. It isn’t the case.
Air conditioners run at full power or turn off. Air conditioners are either turned on or off at full power. As a result, they put in exactly as much effort to reduce the temperature by one degree as they do to reduce it by 20 degrees. Larger changes just lengthen the time it takes to run. So set your thermostat to the exact temperature you desire, not at a lower temperature than you require.
- Avoiding Replacement
The initial cost of replacing your air conditioning unit is high, but that doesn’t mean you should avoid a new purchase. Make sure you don’t keep your outdated air conditioner for much longer than you need to.
Older air conditioners that perform poorly cost you more in repairs and run less efficiently than new models, even when they were new themselves. You might start saving money on the monthly bill by replacing air conditioning systems that are 10 to 12 years old or older with a newer, more efficient model.
- Forgetting About Your Windows
Windows, especially open windows, let a lot of heat enter the house. Pay attention to your windows as well if you truly want to control the temperature in your home. During the hottest portions of the day, keep them closed with blinds or curtains pulled, especially windows facing the sun. Open the upstairs and downstairs windows in the evening to allow cooler air to circulate naturally. The less work an air conditioner has to do, the better!
- Choosing the cheapest contractor
When looking for an air conditioner contractor for an installation or repair, it can be tempting to go with the lowest option. This is a tremendous blunder because the cheapest contractor is almost always the lowest-quality.
Choosing a reputable business will save you money in the long term because your system will be properly cared for and you won’t have to pay for problems created by inexperienced and incompetent experts.
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