Is Your AC Running Efficiently?

Having air conditioning when it’s extremely hot outside can be a much-needed pleasure. However, once you start getting the electric bills for running your air conditioning system, you may be wondering if your air conditioner is running at its best. To ensure that your air conditioning system is running efficiently, there are various aspects of it that you’ll want to check.

Assess the Air Filter

One of the easiest things to check first is your system’s air filter. Locate the filter housing on your air conditioning system; it is usually positioned somewhere within the ductwork before the air handler. Remove the air filter and hold it up to the light. If you can see through the filter, it’s working effectively and should be reinstalled.

If you can no longer see through the air filter, it means that it needs to be replaced. It’s best to check your air filter once a month to see if it needs to be replaced. Be mindful of the model number on the air filter, as you’ll need to know it to buy the appropriate replacement filters.

Look at Your Condenser Unit

Your condenser unit sits outside, close to your home. Due to its outside location, it’s exposed to all the outdoor elements like rain, hail, and wind gusts. For this reason, it’s important that you take a look at your condenser unit every couple of weeks to see if any loose debris is stuck against it.

It’s not uncommon for leaves to get blown up against the cover of the condenser unit and between your house and the condenser unit. In addition, shrubs can start to overgrow around the unit, and tree limbs may hang lower over time. It’s best to ensure that there’s always a good 2 feet of open space around your condenser unit so that it has free airflow to work efficiently.

Care for Your Vents

Each room in your home has two different vents that are used to circulate the air throughout your AC unit and your entire home. As the air travels in and out of these vents, it can bring with it dust and other airborne debris. It’s best to clean your vents once a month to remove this stuck-on debris.

While you’re cleaning your vents, it’s a good idea to make sure that they’re not blocked by any objects in your home. Whenever you’re rearranging your room, it can be easy to accidentally put a piece of furniture for a potted plant in front of one of your vents. Whenever you restrict the airflow around the vent, it can’t do its job efficiently.

Assess Your Thermostat’s Location

If you’re like most homeowners, you have a split-system air conditioner that has one main thermostat to control the temperature of the entire house. It’s extremely important that your thermostat be placed in an appropriate location that allows it to effectively read your indoor temperature. In most cases, this will be on the wall in one of the rooms toward the middle of your house.

There are many different things that can mess with the thermostat reading that you need to be aware of. Having any sort of appliances that produce heat near your thermostat will cause it to report a higher indoor air temperature than it actually is. In addition, direct sunlight coming into your home can cause your thermostat to provide a false high reading.

Clean Your System’s Coils

Your air conditioning system has two sets of coils that need to be cleaned for your system to run effectively. Inside of your indoor air conditioning unit are the evaporator coils. Conversely, inside the outdoor unit, you’ll find condenser coils. You want to use a foam cleansing cleaner to remove stuck-on dirt and debris from these coils.

When the coils are too dirty, they can restrict the ability of your air conditioning system to transfer the heat from the inside of your home to the outdoors. This makes your system run more often to try and cool your home, which leads to higher energy bills. It’s important to note that you will need to turn off your entire air conditioning system before you clean these coils for your own safety.

Reliable AC Service

Simmons Heating & Cooling provides reliable air conditioner service for the Chesapeake community. We can also help you with all of your heating, cooling, indoor air quality, generator, and ductwork needs. Just pick up the phone and give us a call today to schedule your next service appointment.