Summer is Coming: How to Prepare Your Cooling System
Every season inspires homeowners to make various home improvement projects such as remodeling, repainting, introducing major and minor fixes, etc. Yet, none of these home improvements can make your home comfortable if staying indoors doesn't feel appropriate. For instance, you never feel comfortable in a fully furnished home with a malfunctioning AC unit in scorching hot weather.
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Preparing your home for each season is essential, especially for summer. You could hire professional AC services to perform routine maintenance on your unit, diagnose current and underlying HVAC problems and offer the necessary solutions. AC tune-ups performed by Mister Quik Home Services are affordable, and the technicians are well equipped, trained, and learned to ensure your cooling system is fully functional on blistering summer days.
What to do to Get Your Cooling System Ready for the Summer
Inspect Your Filters
Air filters are a vital component in cooling systems. They help clean the air in your home and reduce allergens, dust, and other contaminants that may affect your family. Cleaning and changing these filters should be done regularly to ensure your cooling system functions efficiently during the summer.
Before turning your cooling system on this summer, inspect your air filters to know whether they need to be replaced. If you use your cooling system often, you will have to replace the air filters every 30 days - to 3 months.
There are several different types of air filters for cooling systems, but the best options are electronic and fiberglass air cleaners. Electronic air cleaners use a fan and specialized filter to draw dust from the air in your home and into a reusable filter. Fiberglass air cleaners can filter out even the tiniest particles (suitable for individuals with airborne sensitivities); they are less likely to clog and can be recycled.
Check Air Ducts For Leaks
Some homeowners often complain about how poorly their cooling systems work despite being checked by professionals. Most times, this is the result of leaky air ducts. To ensure your comfort throughout the summer, you need to check your air ducts and seal the leaks before the season begins.
Air ducts leak for several reasons, including building renovation, corrosion, a manufactured flaw, faulty installation by a contractor, and pest invasion. Air ducts are subject to leaks at the point where one duct connects to the other—having your air ducts properly sealed by professional guarantees that your cooling system performs sufficiently.
Assess Your Home's Insulation Level
If you have an attic, spring is the best time to check its insulation level to make sure you get maximum cooling efficiency during the summer. If you have 10 inches or less of insulation, you should consider increasing it - this saves you hundreds of dollars on energy bills each year. Adequate insulation helps your AC unit run more efficiently and safely.
Inspect the areas around your AC unit and make sure they are clear. Assess your outdoor condensing unit and clear the dead grass, leaves, and debris around it. It would help if you also trimmed down the foliage near it to facilitate adequate airflow.
Prepare Your Thermostat For Summer
It's essential to make sure your air-con thermostat is fully functional, especially during the startup cycle. You could also invest in an advanced thermostat since it can be programmed to automatically switch temperature at different times of the day. This helps your air-con system work more efficiently during the summer.
Additionally, smart thermostats can also be programmed to turn off when no one is home and turn on when you arrive home, thus, reducing energy consumption. Smart thermostats can be tweaked to reduce your overall energy costs.
Inspect the Drain Line
When your cooling system is running, the excess moisture gets drained, so you need to periodically inspect your drain line for blockages. You can inspect your drain line by checking whether running water is coming out of your outside drain while your AC unit is running; if not, that might be a sign of a clogged drain line.
Schedule a Tune-Up
Scheduling a tune-up is one of the best ways to prepare your cooling system this coming summer. Regular tune-ups help extend your cooling systems' service life and boost efficiency by up to 25%. This also gives you the advantage of reduced utility bills down the line.
You could also try to find an HVAC Preventive Maintenance Contract. A yearly contract helps cover scheduled maintenance on your cooling system. This helps prevent unexpected breakdowns and saves you money on repairs and energy bills.
Consider Upgrading Your Cooling System
At times, your cooling system might malfunction because it is too old, and other times repairing it might be much more expensive than getting a new one. In such a situation, you would have to upgrade your cooling system. When upgrading your cooling system, you need to consider size and efficiency - this will save you money on upfront expenses and future energy bills.
Perform Regular Maintenance on Your Cooling System
In the long run, performing regular maintenance on your AC is way more effective and efficient than random tune-ups and emergency repairs. A well-maintained cooling system can help you maintain indoor comfort through the intense heat waves of summer and work just as efficiently throughout the year. Regular maintenance can help guarantee that your cooling system doesn't break down when you need it most.
