Expert Tips To Prepare Your AC for the Summer Heat

Spring is winding down, which means that the school is nearly done, and the longer, warmer days of summer are almost here. It’s time to start to thinking about vacations, BBQs, and getting the most from the warm weather.

This also means that things are about to get hot and humid for another year. Fortunately, if you have a centralized air conditioning system, this isn’t something that will bother you much at home.

But it does mean that before the summer season starts, and your air conditioner kicks in regularly to keep you cool and comfortable, you should take some time to get your AC ready for another year of hard work.

Here are a few things you can do to get ready.

Use Your Thermostat Efficiently

If your thermostat is an older model, especially if it’s not even digital, you should think about upgrading it to a modern system.

Older thermostats are not as accurate as new models, which lead to higher bills.

If you have a modern thermostat, are you using it as efficiently as you could be?

Modern thermostats feature the ability to pre-program cooling periods and different preferred temperatures.

A home can use less energy during the day when no one is around, and then automatically cool itself down just as residents start arriving home.

Maintain Your Condenser

If you have central air conditioning, you’re probably familiar with the condenser unit that looks like a big block that sits outside your home.

The function of the condenser is to draw in air from outdoors, then cool it before pumping it into your home to be circulated.

As you can tell from the design, this means it is built to admit air easily.

That results in a lot of open spaces can also let in other things.

If you have a plants or trees on your property, it’s not uncommon for leaves to pile up in the condenser, especially after autumn.

You should take the time to clean these leaves out, or else they can impact the efficiency and performance of your AC.

Clean or Replace Your Filter

Your filter is likely to be shared between your furnace and your AC in most common HVAC systems.

This means that with every change of season—or every three months, four times a year—that filter should be replaced.

Filters are designed to protect both you—by trapping contaminants such as pollens—and help the AC to maintain efficiency.

Take the filter out and replace it with a new one if you are using the more common disposable filter.

If you use a permanent filter, be sure to periodically remove it, wash it, then let it dry and put it back in your HVAC system.