Before You Turn on the Air Conditioner

As of late, it seems as though we only have two seasons here in Philadelphia; winter straight to summer. We’ve gone from bitter cold to hot days in the blink of an eye. In turn, we are giving our furnaces and air conditioning systems a run for their money.

Now that the spring weather is finally starting to peek through the cold, it is the precursor to the summer heat that will be enveloping our Philadelphia homes. It’s best to follow these tips, provided by Philadelphia’s leading air conditioning repair and maintenance experts, HVAC Philly, for a cool summer experience.

ac_heymo_102522

 

Follow These Tips Before You Turn on the Air Conditioner This Summer

It would be wise to evaluate your air conditioning unit prior to starting to be able to address any problems or maintenance needs. By giving your system a thorough check now, you can do easy AC repairs or schedule a maintenance visit from a professional HVAC technician before the summer heat puts more demand on your system.

 

Indoor Equipment Vital to Your Overall Well Being

Start with the temperature set around 80 degrees and the thermostat in an off position.

Is your thermostat outdated? If it is, you could save on energy costs by updating to a newer programmable thermostat.

If there is any exposed ductwork check it for deterioration.  Any type of wear could be the reason for cool air escaping and therefore not properly cooling the home.

Clear air vents throughout the home. If there is anything blocking the vents, remove them. Items in front of the vents will block airflow and restrict cooling of the home.

Make sure your drain line is clear. Your drain is located by the indoor cooling coil, which is usually mounted above the furnace in the basement. To clear your drain line you’ll want to flush one cup of chlorine bleach down the air conditioning drain and rinse it with a gallon of water. It will keep your air conditioning drain throughout the cooling season.

Regularly change your air filter. Every one to three months is best for changing your air filter. The more pollutants such as those found in homes located nearer to downtown Philadelphia, or homes with pet dander, filters would need to be changed more often.

Ensure your electrical connections are on, double check your circuits.

Check your outside equipment for deterioration or overgrowth.

Check your outdoor condenser unit. Clear the area around the equipment of any blockages such as leaves, or debris that are near the interior component so the performance will not be affected. Make sure there are no missing panels, they are made to enclose and keep safe electrical connections.

Check the refrigerant lines. Your refrigerant lines need to be insulated. By properly insulating them you will improve the efficiency of the system. If there are repairs that need to be made make sure to contact HVAC Philly to perform repairs properly.

Ensure there is no deterioration in the outdoor electrical wiring. If find any wear and tear, contact a professional HVAC technician for maintenance before starting your AC system.

If your air conditioner is more than 10 years old, it may be time for retirement. Even a properly maintained AC unit reaches the age when it is time for a replacement.

After you’ve completed all the proper steps to prepare your air conditioner to turn on the next step is to test the unit. 

First Step Turn the thermostat to the desired temperature and turn the unit to the on position.

Second Step Check the unit outside. Listen for any loud irregular noises. Make sure that the air coming out from the top of the unit is warm, which indicates that it is properly removing the warm air from the home.

Third Step Once the AC unit has been running for at least 15 minutes you should be able to feel the room temperature cooling down.

If Any Of These Steps Bring Up A Red Flag Contact Your Local HVAC Professional Immediately.

For more FAQ about your HVAC system, be sure to follow HVAC Philly Blog, for helpful tips and information related to heating repair, heating maintenance and services provided to the greater Philadelphia, Bucks County, PA and Montgomery County, PA areas.

If you are in the greater Philadelphia, Montgomery County,  or Bucks County, PA areas, HVAC Philly offers affordable, professional and expert HVAC services to commercial buildings and homes throughout the area. They have over 20 years experience and rated top ten HVAC companies in Philadelphia.

STAY COOL MY FRIENDS

What is Trending

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *