CS on Home Maintenance: Tuning your Air Conditioning System

By: RE/MAX Complete

We are
"Completely Sold"

on Home Maintenance   

Today we are going to learn

How to Get Your Air Conditioning System

Ready for Summer

Can you believe its almost time again, to finally turn off the heaters and turn on the air conditioners.

Honestly, we can hardly wait!   This year has been so wet and cold-- that we are looking forward to the hot and sunny days ahead.

So before the heat wave hits and leaves you feeling like this

you better take action.   You can either do-it-yourself or have a certified HVAC technician tune up your air conditioning system for you.

Having your air conditioning system tuned has a long list of benefits, like:

• helping it operate more efficiently
• saving you money
• making your home more comfortable.

So if you are the Do-It-Yourself type person, follow these simple steps provided by EnergyStar to get that air conditioning system ready for summer.


Inside:

1. Read your air conditioner's manual. "Boring," you say? What's boring about a sparkly firehose of maintenance tips and guidelines? If you've misplaced it, check online.
2. Pop in a new air filter and change it monthly during the summer. (Look in your duct system rather than on the A/C unit itself.) They're pretty cheap and help your air conditioning work more efficiently, saving you money and improving air quality. Fine family fun.
3. Clean indoor coils. Dirty coils mean your air conditioner won't live as long and will get heartburn trying to cool your house.
4. Clean your blower components to ensure good airflow. Problems with the airflow can make your system 15 percent less efficient, says Energy Star.
5. Check your thermostat and make sure the system kicks in (and turns off) when it's supposed to.

Outside:

1. Check the refrigerant level in your air conditioner, and add more if it's below the recommended level (aren’t you glad you read the manual?). Insufficient refrigerant makes your system thirsty, can ding efficiency by up to 20 percent, and can hurt the compressor.
2. Check if the condensate drain in your air conditioner is plugged. Energy Star says you could end up with mold, water damage, or humidity problems if the drain is blocked. Yuck.
3. Clean outdoor coils. Again, this'll help your air conditioner last longer.

Energy Star says that dust and neglect are the main reasons an air conditioner breaks down.    So lets all be pro-active this spring and get our air conditioning systems ready for the summer.

For more info:

• Energy Star's guide to efficient cooling and heating
• Air conditioning maintenance checklist from Energy Star
• Planet Green's tips for an efficient air conditioner

SLC/Tooele area Contractors offering air conditioning tune-up specials:

Same Day - $69 tune up special
Air Design Heating - $69 A/C checkup
Aire Serv Heating & Air - $20 off a total comfort tune-up

So what are you waiting for?  

You dont want to wait until the very last minute to find out that your air conditioning system needs repair.   If you act now-- the service response times are usually same day instead of days to weeks in the summer.