3 Tips To Get the Most out of Your A/C
Days are getting longer and warmer, put away your parka and start thinking about you’re A/C!
At Action Plumbing and Heating we want to make sure you enjoy a cool refreshing summer. So here are 3 tips for getting you’re A/C in the best shape!
Change your filter and wash your condenser!
If you’re A/C is not cooling enough, the two easiest and most important things you can do on your own are: change your filter and clean your outdoor condenser.
Your HVAC system must have a filter. The filter will be located at your furnace return air. It is very important that the filter is changed or cleaned regularly in order to filter the air properly and prevent the indoor coil from getting dirty and improving efficiency. 1" filters=change every month; 2" filters=change every 2 months; 4-5" filters=change every 6-12 months, but depends on your home. Filters will get dirtier faster if: there are multiple pets, there is a dusty outdoor environment such as dirt roads, fields, construction, etc; if carpets are infrequently vacuumed. We recommend buying a year's worth of filters, so that they are handy when it's time to change them.
Be sure to keep the outdoor condenser clean. This means ALL sides should have nothing clinging to them (the sides look like radiator fins or sometimes they are "spiny" looking). If you do see dirt, leaves, grass clippings, cottonwood, use a water hose with spray nozzle to rinse the sides off starting at the top and working your way down. Turn off the power first.
Watch For Frost Build Up
During the summer, if you see frost on the outdoor or indoor pipes, your system is frozen and will not cool properly. The system must be thawed in order to solve this issue. The quickest way to thaw the system is to turn the ac off at the thermostat but turn the FAN to ON. This will force warm air over the ice to thaw it quicker. It may still take 2 or more hours to thaw. NOTE: once the air conditioner is thawed, when you turn it on, it may start cooling again and continue to cool until it freezes up again- maybe a day or two. This freezing up and thawing will continue until the root problem is resolved. It is not good for this to continue for days. The root problem could be a dirty filter. If changing your filter does not remedy the situation, call for service.
Be careful what temperature you set it to
Do not set your thermostat below 70 degrees as it will not cool any faster and could freeze up the system causing more problems.
If you have any major issues with you’re A/C call us and we can come in and take a look at it for you. We get a lot of calls to check on A/C units in the summer, so get ahead of the curve by booking with us sooner rather than later.
Book you’re A/C check-up by clicking here or calling 306-244-8248.