How to Prepare Your Home for the Hot Summer Months Ahead
The summer months are brutal on a human if the air conditioning unit is not working properly. Luckily, there are some ways that you can prepare so you are cool throughout the warm days of June, July and August. One way to stay cool and reduce energy costs is with a high efficiency air conditioning system. To learn how these systems work and get yourself ready, here are a few tips.
Understanding the A/C Basics
Central air-conditioning systems have two main units. This is where you should start if you think that your A/C unit may be in trouble. These two components are the condenser unit, which goes outside of your home, and then there is an evaporator unit typically mounted in your air handler closet or furnace. These two components extract heat from the air and then cool down your home using refrigeration technology.
Repairs to either of these units should be made first if you notice that there are issues with cooling or heating in your home. For instance, you may hear the air conditioning kick on but feel warm air coming out of the vent. In some cases, a high efficiency air conditioner unit can actually give you a read out with the issue highlighted. This might mean that your A/C unit is frozen and not working properly to push out cool air.
Common A/C Issues
These are some common issues that homes face in the summer:
- A/C won't turn on or isn't working
- A/C is not cool
- A/C makes a lot of noise
- A/C costs too much to run
- A/C is shutting off early or never shutting off
As you start to check out your A/C unit on your own, you should keep in mind what temperature you have set inside of your home and also look at the owner's manual for your unit online. There are many companies who offer troubleshooting on a website if you are looking for some quick answers.
If you are considering buying parts and repairing the unit yourself, think about getting a free quote first from a professional A/C repair company. This will help you confirm what the problems are and give you a way to fix them even if you decide to do it yourself or go with another repair company.
Stay Safe
As you start to check out your A/C unit, make sure that you are being safe. You should always turn off the power to the condenser using the breaker or service panel. The condenser will likely have a weatherproof disconnect box that is located outside near the unit itself. This box contains a lever, fuse or circuit breaker to shut down the condenser. This should be turned off as well if you plan on opening the unit to check for issues.
Replace Filters
One of the easiest ways you can prevent your A/C unit from breaking down is by regularly checking, cleaning and replacing the filters.
You should clean or replace the furnace and air-handler filters twice per year or more. If you have pets, you may want to change them at a faster pace.
You might need to change them less if you have a high efficiency air conditioner.
Clean A/C Condenser Coils
The central air conditioning unit for most homes is located outside. It has a large fan with sides that resemble grilles on cars. It is protected in the winter by a condenser coil, which doesn't allow any debris to enter the unit. However, leaves, grass, and other things can get trapped inside of the unit.
You can always clean the inside of the condenser coil after you have safely shut off all power to the unit.
To clean these coils, you will remove the top and side sections or the grilles from the unit, and then use a screwdriver to remove the fasteners and get inside of the unit. You will need a soft brush such as those that come with a vacuum to clean inside of the condenser coil and around the unit.
Check Coolant Lines
Another issue for air conditioning units is the coolant lines. These are tubes or pipes that go from the evaporator to the condenser outside. These are typically coated in a form insulation that prevents the tube from losing energy.
If you see areas where this foam is missing or frayed, you should replace it using foam insulation sleeves. You can also wrap the lines with foam insulation tape.
Test Your Unit
There area variety tools out there that you can also buy to test the unit and provide a read out with the issues. Most handymen and A/C repair companies can also provide you with this read out if you aren't sure what the issue is with your air conditioning unit.
After you have checked out the unit and cleaned out any debris, you might want to test the unit inside first and then call a repair company if you have not fixed the issue.
It's important to keep your home cool in the summer. If you are having issues with your A/C unit, then consider a maintenance check for your home by calling B & D Plumbing, Heating & A/C at (763) 497-2290 in St. Michael, MN.