To help you maximize the efficiency and economy of your air conditioning equipment , we’d like to share some helpful hints with you.
Make sure you remove any kind of winter cover before turning on your unit. A protective jacket could cause the AC to overheat quickly. Set your thermostat for 22-24°C (73-75°F) in the “cool” mode. Settings below 21°C (70°F) can cause your air conditioning unit to freeze up, causing damage that will have to be repaired by a technician or replaced entirely. Always make sure your furnace filtration system (filters or air cleaners) are kept free of dust accumulation during the summer months. If you have a humidifier on your furnace, turn it off and leave it that way for the duration of the summer Shut the water off, turn the humidifier dial to 0 and close the by-pass damper from the humidifier.
Your outdoor unit condensing coil resembles a radiator on a car. Always keep this part clean of dirt, leaves and grass clippings. Homeowners sometimes mistakenly believe that because these units sit outdoors they are immune to damage from the natural environment. Not so! Using a garden hose, wash the coil from top to bottom (do this yearly to ensure proper performance). In a new housing development, where construction dust is all around your unit, we recommend that you wash the air conditioner every two weeks until the grass is put down and the development or survey is completed. After that, once a year is good.
For most homes, registers in the basement should be kept closed with all other registers throughout the house left open. Many two-storey homes notice a great improvement in cooling the second floor by keeping the fan in the ON position at the thermostat. This creates sustained circulation which will help overcome the second storey burden of rising heat. Remember that when cool air stops moving it will migrate to the lower levels where the thermostat is and finally to the basement where you don’t need it. So, keep the fan on!
It takes a long time to cool a house, so don’t use your thermostat like a light switch. Set it and leave it! Your air conditioner is trying to remove humidity first and lower the temperature slowly and evenly. Your air conditioner should be checked by an HVAC expert every year to ensure proper performance and to have components oiled.
Make sure the outdoor unit is clean and dry before securing the winter cover. Some people shut the a/c switch off at the central electrical panel. Make sure your furnace filters are clean and set the thermostat fan position back to AUTO if you wish and adjust to heating mode. Many people keep their fan running even in the winter for better home comfort in the winter, and that choice is yours.
Contact us today if you think your air conditioning unit isn’t performing as well as it should.
