Tips To Prevent And Repair Air Conditioner Breakdowns While Keeping Your Home Cool This Summer
Posted on: 13 August 2018
Sometimes the only relief you can find from the heat of the summer sun is in the cool interior of your home. But when your air conditioner breaks down and needs to be repaired or replaced by a new unit, there are a few ways you can keep your home as cool as possible while you wait out your repairs. Here are some tips to help you prevent and repair air conditioner problems and stay cool during the heat of summer if your air conditioner does need a repair.
Keep Up on Your AC's Maintenance
As a homeowner it is your responsibility to maintain your air conditioner to keep it running its best. You should hire a professional HVAC technician to inspect and tune up recommended elements of your air conditioner once a year, preferably in the spring.
Make a habit of checking and replacing your HVAC filter every one to two months. Check your filter monthly to get an idea of how much debris it collects, and replace it as needed. If you have pets in your home, you will likely find you need to replace the filter more frequently. Doing so will lower your air conditioner's energy use by anywhere from 5 to 15 percent.
On an air conditioner with an outside condenser, you should clean any debris that collects around the outdoor unit. This can consist of trash, leaves, branches, and vegetation growth. Trim back bushes and plants to create a two-foot clearance around your condenser to allow air flow around the unit's coils and boost your home's cooling ability.
Enroll in HVAC Service Protection
As part of your annual spring air conditioner tune-up, you may consider buying a service protection agreement with the HVAC company of your choice. Doing so will help you remember to complete your air conditioner's annual tune-up to prevent and catch any problems early on, as this service is included.
And when you are enrolled with a service protection agreement, this will put you on a priority list for any repairs that are needed. So, for example, if your air conditioner's coils freeze up or the unit stops blowing cool air in the middle of summer, you can call your HVAC professional and they will get a technician at your house quickly, instead of having to wait in line behind other customers who are not signed up with a service protection agreement.
Use House-Cooling Methods
When your air conditioner does break down and you call your HVAC professional to come and repair it or replace your unit with a new one, you may need to wait for a few days in the heat. Fortunately, there are some tricks you can implement in your home to cool its interior and block out heat from the sun.
Using curtains within your home can block out radiation and heat from the sun. When sunlight enters your home's windows, it heats up the space. But if you close your window curtains to block sunlight from entering your home, it can keep your home cool. In fact, 76 percent of the sunlight that falls on your unblocked double-paned window will enter your home to heat up its interior.
At night, open your home's windows when the outside temperature cools and place window fans in your home's windows to pull in cool air and push out hot air. Use these same fans during the day to circulate air inside your home to help you feel cooler even when the temperature rises. And don't forget to drink plenty of water while you wait for your air conditioner to be repaired or replaced.
To learn more, contact a company like Astro Air Inc.
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