Hot weather will be here soon, and your air conditioner needs to be in top shape. You know you have to get it inspected, but what can you do during the hot weather to make it easier for the unit to keep working efficiently? It turns out there are a few things you can do, and they're all really simple. If you want to stay cool this summer, follow these steps.
Write the Date on the Air Filter
You should change your air filter regularly; the thinner the filter, the more often you should change it. However, keeping track of when you last changed it can be annoying, so write the date of the change on the paper border of the filter.
It would also be a good idea to keep extra filters on hand at home. Changing the filter is one of those tasks that can so easily be postponed if you find you have to make an extra trip to the home improvement store to get a filter. Instead, keep a bunch at home so that changing the filter takes you just a couple of minutes total.
Keep the A/C On
If you're leaving your home for the day, don't turn your air conditioner off. Turn the temperature up so that the unit isn't turning on and off frequently while no one's around, but keep it set to a temperature from which a cool-down once you get home would be quick. In other words, instead of turning the unit off and letting your home get into very hot temperature ranges, keep it on at a higher temperature that will still ensure the place is relatively livable once you get home. If you turn it off, once you turn it on again, the compressor will have to work fairly hard to bring temperatures down. If you leave it on at higher temperatures, the compressor won't have to struggle as much, and your home won't feel like an oven when you walk inside.
Use Those Ceiling Fans
If you have ceiling fans, use them! They are very efficient at spreading cool air around a room. Be sure the fan is on its summer setting; when you stand under the fan and look up, the blades should spin counterclockwise. This creates that cool breeze that makes the room so much nicer. If the blades rotate clockwise, that's the winter setting (meant to stir up all the hot air that's risen to the ceiling and send it back down into the cold room); look on the side of the fan for a small switch, and flip it.
If you're having trouble getting your place to cool down, contact an air conditioning repair company. Cool air helps life go much more smoothly. Contact a company like Cape Fear Air Conditioning & Heating Co., Inc. to learn more.
