The temperatures are on the rise, which means that your electric bills we be rising as well. The largest consumption of electricity in the summer is from our air conditioning units. Prepare yourself as best as possible to keep your house cooler, while keeping that bill lower. Make sure you change your filters regularly. Having a clean filter will ensure that the system can draw enough air through the system to allow it to function properly. Make sure your ducts are sealed properly. Check where the ducts connect to the system and make sure you don’t have air leaking out into your attic. This is one of those rare situations where you can actually use duct tape on ducts. Scary thought I know.
If you have the means, check the temperature of the unit while it is running. When the air conditioner is running the unit should lower the temperature of the air by between 15 and 20 degrees. Anything outside of that range means the unit is not functioning properly, and you should have an HVAC technician service the system.
Most of you will have vent registers on your ceiling. Most of those have levers on them to open and close the vent. If you have rooms that are colder than others, then you can open and close these to better balance the system out. The rooms that are colder, you can close the damper off about 50%. This will force more air into the other rooms that aren’t getting as cool.
Your condenser unit is on the outside of the house. The Freon line should be completely covered with black foam insulation. If it isn’t, you can go to your local hardware store and purchase for pretty cheap. Make sure that line is insulated or the line can freeze up and make your unit less efficient. Also check the fins around the unit. The side closest to the house tends to get dirty. Clogged fins can restrict air flow coming into the unit. Make sure to keep these clean.
I hope this helps keep your AC units running at peak efficiency.
E. Lee Warren III
Licensed Home Inspector
TREC License #8411
Prospect Inspectors, Inc.
469-682-0341
It's quite difficult and expensive to get the units fixed, when we could save much more by maintaining them well. That said, thank you very much for the pointers. It may take a while to inspect each of these parts, but you can save more in the process.
Posted by: Trey Hopson | July 08, 2011 at 07:50 AM
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Posted by: Mulberry Bayswater Outlet | October 16, 2011 at 03:08 PM
All AC units eventually wear out and break down. The goal of regular maintenance is to maximize the appliance's useful life. The AC unit at home has been with us for almost three years, it is still in good working condition.
Posted by: Darren Gersol | November 25, 2011 at 03:42 PM
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Posted by: Belstaff Coat | December 30, 2011 at 05:34 AM