Save Your Home AC Unit

Are you worried that your aging HVAC may not be able to handle another sweltering summer in Philly or South Jersey? There’s nothing worse than turning on your air conditioner on the hottest day of the year only to not be able to have the relief of cool air in your home.

However, there are some steps that you can take now to increase the odds that your old HVAC will survive at least one more summer.

Preventive Maintenance

You may have avoided scheduling regular maintenance checks because you wanted to save money. You’ll save more money in the long run if you have a trained HVAC technician examine your air conditioner at least twice a year. Two of the things he will look for are worn out parts and leaks.

Replace Worn Parts

That funny noise that you’re hearing is a warning signal. It’s an alert from a part that you need to replace. Don’t ignore the sound and hope it goes away. Correcting the problem now could keep the entire unit from malfunctioning during the hot days when the system is in constant use.

Check for Leaks

A technician is going to look carefully for any signs of leaks. A slow leak may not cause a noticeable problem during mild weather but will prevent your unit from properly chilling the air in the middle of summer. The more coolant your system loses, the less effective it becomes until it can no longer perform its job.

A technician could also check your home’s ductwork for leaks. Holes in the ductwork allow cool air to spill out beneath your home before it has a chance to enter through the vents.

Don’t Make Your HVAC Work So Hard

During hot weather, we often hear warnings about overworking ourselves in the heat. Likewise, it’s not a good idea to overwork your air conditioner during warm weather. Here are some things that you can do to ease your system’s workload.

Don’t Cool an Empty House

Make sure to turn your air conditioner off before leaving the house for extended periods. The constant cycling on and off all day shortens the unit’s lifespan.

If your family life is complicated, it may require a variety of thermostat settings throughout the day. If so, consider installing a smart thermostat. You’ll be able to program the temperature for specific times of the day. This flexibility will help you to schedule times to have the HVAC turned off.

Help Your HVAC to Breathe

You don’t want to hinder the airflow to your HVAC. If you do, your system will struggle to take in air and potentially overwork itself. Outside, check the area around your air conditioner. There should be nothing blocking the air from reaching the unit. Remove all overgrown grass and bushes. Also, don’t store items like outdoor furniture, grills, or bicycles against the HVAC.

Inside, you can help your air conditioner breathe by regularly changing the filters. The filter’s manufacturer will suggest how you need to change it. It’s often helpful to write the upcoming date on the side of the filter as well as on the family schedule.

Be careful only to use the type of filter recommended for your air conditioner. Higher-end filters can be too restrictive for some units, especially older ones. The expensive filters trap more airborne particles, but that means that their tighter screens require air conditioners to exert more effort than usual to push air through.

Close Your Drapery

Closing your drapery during sunny days will lower the temperature in your rooms. That’s great news for your air conditioner. It won’t have to work as hard to cool the house.

If you implement the steps outlined above, you can make it far more likely that your HVAC will serve you well this summer.

Remember, one of the keys is regular maintenance checks. Contact HVAC Philly today to have one of our qualified technicians evaluate your system’s readiness for summer.