Summer is exceedingly hard on your cooling system, mostly because the high temperatures can force you to keep your air conditioner on for much longer periods of time, which can put a very large amount of strain on the system. Listed below are two ways to reduce the strain on your home's cooling system throughout the summer.
Clean The Air Filter
One piece of air conditioner maintenance that seems to be overlooked most often is cleaning the air filter. This is a major problem as a dirty air filter can greatly reduce the flow of air to your air conditioner. When this happens, your air conditioner is using a lot of energy to cool less air, which then leads to reduced air flow coming out of your vents.
At that point, the air conditioner is forced to remain on for much longer in order to get your home's temperature to the setting on the thermostat, which both places a lot of strain on the system and increases your utility bills. The good news is that finding and cleaning your air filter is extremely simple, mostly because you can simply use your vacuum cleaner's hose option to clean the filter.
Finding the air filter can be a bit tricky with central air systems as it is not typically located on the unit itself. Instead, the filter is located within your home inside the air intake vent. This vent is usually located in the vicinity of your furnace and looks like a larger version of your normal air vents. You should plan to clean your air filters at least once a month during the summer when the air conditioner is being used most often.
Shade Your Windows
Another way to reduce the strain on your cooling system is to find ways to keep your home's temperature down in order to help the air conditioner do its job. An easy way to accomplish this is to find ways to provide shade for your windows, such as by installing an awning or solar screen. A solar screen can be installed that takes the place of a normal window screen, but it will block a large portion of sunlight in addition to keeping insects out of your home.
The purpose of this shade is to keep the sunlight from heating your home's interior temperature when it passes through your windows. By blocking out the sunlight a bit, you can often reduce your home's interior temperature by a few degrees, which means that your air conditioner will not need to work as hard to keep your home at a comfortable temperature.
Contact an air conditioning repair expert today to discuss how you can extend the life of you air conditioner by reducing the strain on the system. Cleaning the air intake filter and shading your windows are great ways to ensure that your air conditioner is not working harder or longer than it needs to.
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