We are always happy to provide you with air conditioning repair services. However, we’re always glad to not have to do so if that means that your air conditioning unit is already working properly. Of course, annual maintenance can make sure that your air conditioner is working exactly as it should, and that it does so for a longer period of time. Often, whether we’re repairing someone’s air conditioning or just providing maintenance services, folks will ask us something along the lines of “is there anything we can do to keep our air conditioning working properly?” Below, we’ve collected some tips on how you can help your own air conditioning unit, as well as some quality services we can provide that other air conditioning companies can’t.
AC Tips
Cleaning
When people think of appliances and parts of their home that they can clean, their air conditioner unit doesn’t necessarily come to mind first. However, keeping your air conditioner clean is a great way to ensure proper performance and longevity. The tips we mention below aren’t things you have to do. We are merely suggesting, some of the ways that you might be able to keep your air conditioning going for just a little bit longer. The best thing you can do for your air conditioning, regardless of any of the tips we mention, is to schedule us for an annual maintenance plan.
If you have an outside unit for your air conditioner, check every now and then to make sure that it’s clean. This isn’t the kind of thing that you need to get out a magnifying glass for: simply give it the old eye test. If you have shrubs, bushes, and the like, they could be overrunning your air conditioner. If you’re like most of us, your outdoor air conditioner is often out of sight, out of mind. When you have a moment, go give it a look. If there’s too much greenery on it, cut it off of there, gently, and completely.
Of course, greenery isn’t the only thing that might be causing your outdoor air conditioning unit to not work as well as it should. Anything could reduce the airflow of the air conditioner. It could be grass clippings from cutting, leaves that have blown into your yard, or even dirt built up over the years. Each of these can block and decrease your outdoor air conditioning unit’s air flow, which can decrease the system capacity, and ultimately cost you money. By clearing these out of the way, you’re ensuring that your air conditioning works as it should.
Indoor Vents
It’s easy to lose track of just how dirty your indoor vents can get. If you have pets (particularly dogs) they may make it a habit to lay on these vents during the summer months. This makes a lot of sense, as lying on those vents is quite a bit cooler and more comfortable than dealing with the summer sun (especially in a fur coat). There’s nothing wrong with a beloved pet taking a pleasant summer nap, but over time, all that fur can block your vents.
We don’t want you to have to stick your face into these vents or something to find out if they’re a bit dirty. These can pick up so much more than just pet hair. They could also get dust, dirt, and, in some cases, mold. An easy way to check is to use a pipe cleaner. The favorite of children’s paintings and projects can come in handy here, too. Just stick the pipe cleaner into the vent, and run it around the sides. It may pick up quite a bit of dog hair, dust and the like.
Cleaning Filters
This is one of the more effective ways that a person can assist their air conditioner unit. Just like with the other parts of your air conditioner, if there’s dust around, it can inhibit the air flow. Of course, since we’re talking about your air conditioner, that’s the last thing you want to go through. Another problem with having dust and dirt in your air filter is that it can cause problems in regard to allergies.
Hopefully, you don’t have bad allergies. However, many people do. If there are all kinds of dirt and dust in your air filter, even if it doesn’t reduce the air flow in your location, it can cause the quality of the air to plummet. If you don’t keep clean filters, it can cause those around you to not feel well, making them sneeze, cough, or worse. For people who suffer from such a condition, it can trigger asthma.
We can’t tell you how many times we’ve repaired air conditioning at someone’s home, only to find that someone who lives in the home has been having problems with their asthma. They were always breathing in this air, causing their asthma to essentially always be inflamed, and they didn’t realize what was causing it in the first place. This all applies for places of work as well. Employees who are always breathing in low-quality air are unlikely to be as productive as they could be, even if they are in a cool location. This is just one more way, in addition to cool temperatures, that air conditioning can improve one’s quality of life.
AC and Filters
Different air conditioner units will have their filters in different locations. In fact, some air conditioners have different kinds of filters, period. Before you decide whether to clean your filters or not, determine if your air conditioner has reusable filters or ones that need to get replaced. When you go to find your filters, they could be in any number of places. Some filters have them in a slot, which can be located on top of the furnace, below it, or even in one of the sides. Other air conditioners will have their filters inside what’s called the “blower department. The most common location is often behind the return air grille. That can be found on a ceiling or wall in a room of the house that’s centrally located.
Cleaning the air filter is something that should be done fairly frequently. Depending on the time of year, you may want to clean your filter monthly or once every three months. The good rule of thumb is to do it monthly during the summer, and then once in winter, fall, and spring. However, the “rule of thumb” wasn’t necessarily made established. As with most things, play it by ear. How often do you use your air conditioning? If you use it quite a bit during a hot summer, or the autumnal months are hotter than you might think, then you might want to clean the filters then, too. This is one of those “it doesn’t hurt to do it a bit more often than you might think” kinds of things.
Air Pro Master: Above AC Companies
The above are some suggestions about how to help your air conditioning. We understand if you read the above and thought: “I don’t want to have to go through all of this.” Here at Air Pro Master, we can help with any air conditioning problems, questions or concerns that you might have. We’re available 24/7 too, so as soon as something goes wrong with your air conditioning, heating, or plumbing, we can be there in a very brief period of time to fix it. If you’d like to talk to a professional about your air conditioning, don’t hesitate to give us a call at (702) 598-4174.
