Summer is fast approaching, and in order to beat the heat outside you want to keep your home nice and cool inside. But is your HVAC system ready for summer? The tips below will help keep your HVAC system alive and running through the summer heat and can even save you money.
- Make sure your HVAC system is regularly inspected and maintained. Doing this helps you treat normal wear and tear issues before they become major issues. You may also want to consider an energy audit as part of or in addition to regular maintenance.
- Check your insulation. Proper insulation will help keep a home cool when you run the air conditioning and warm when you run the heat. Even if your home is insulated, it may be time for an upgrade.
- Get a programmable thermostat…and program it. Setting your thermostat for optimal daytime and nighttime temperatures is a great way to save money on your HVAC bills and to give your system some much needed rest and relaxation when it doesn’t need to be working hard.
- Replace old air conditioning units with energy efficient units. Energy efficient units can save you money, and you may be eligible for tax breaks. It’s also better to be proactive about replacing old units than it is to be surprised when your unit breaks.
- Check your fuses and circuit breakers. You may have a brand new HVAC system, but it won’t do you any good if your home’s electrical system is in need of care and you are constantly blowing fuses.
- Don’t block your air conditioning unit. If your unit is inside the house, don’t block the flow of air or use it as a shelf. Blocking the flow of air means you won’t feel the air, and if that happens you will likely crank up the AC and make the unit work harder than it needs to work. If your unit is outside, don’t let grass, trees, or shrubs block it; this can cause the filters to clog and impair the unit’s ability to drain properly.
- Check your unit’s filters often. If the filters are clogged or dirty, clean or replace them as soon as possible. Filters are in place to help you maintain good indoor air quality, so you don’t want to let the impurities filtered out of your air sit around in your machine and get re-filtered through the house. Clean filters also help your unit run easier.
- Make sure your AC units are draining properly. Removing any debris that is built up around the drainage area, keeping grass around the unit trimmed and not planting vegetation close to the unit are ways to keep the drain area open and unclogged.
- Turn off lights and heat-producing appliances when possible. If you reduce the amount of heat being produced inside of your home, you won’t need to run the air conditioner so much.
- Use fans rather than your air conditioner. Fans, especially a ceiling fan, will circulate cool air and use much less electricity.
What are your tips and tricks for keeping your HVAC units alive this summer?
