Keeping Your HVAC System Running All Summer Long

What’s one of the hardest working appliances in your home? In the summer, it’s your air conditioner.

To keep it operating all summer long, it’s important you take a few steps to ensure it’s running at its best. Scheduling a maintenance visit before the hot weather starts will give you peace of mind that your equipment is in its best possible shape before the temperatures start to creep upward. But it’s not the only thing you can do.

Do a visibility sweep

In the summer, you’re outside more. You enjoy your gardens and your outdoor living spaces. As you pull the hose out to water, or use the mower to cut the grass, take a few moments to look at your air conditioner to ensure vegetation or other debris hasn’t accumulated around the condenser. Be sure to keep all plant life away as the condenser coils transfer heat, and any disruption can cause your air conditioner to go out.

Clean vents and registers

Your air conditioner is a part of a bigger system – your HVAC system. Your furnace and air conditioner operate via the ventilation system, which is an intricately designed maze of ducts that flow into your rooms through vents and registers. These can become dirty, even clogged as they continue to work hard all year long. Be sure to vacuum and remove dust or pet hair regularly. Also, ensure you don’t place drapes or furniture that prevents airflow. While duct cleaning might not be something you regularly need, if you don’t know when the last time your ducts were cleaned, it may be worth it to improve your air quality.

Test the thermostat

Your thermostat controls how your air conditioner operates. If it isn’t sending the right triggers to the AC unit, it won’t turn on and off at appropriate times. This might also be the time to upgrade to a programmable or a smart thermostat. These can help you be more efficient with the way your air conditioner operates, and increase your efficiency and make your home more comfortable too.

If you suspect a problem with your air conditioner, or you feel airflow is different throughout your home, schedule your maintenance visit before you have more serious issues. Maintenance visits are designed to keep your system in good working condition. It can also alert you to problems that may arise in the future, to keep an eye on as we move into the warmer part of summer.