How to keep it cool during the summer
Summertime … a time for family vacations, cookouts, little league and ice cream. It’s also time for rising temperatures that can really give your home cooling system a workout.
There are some easy ways to avoid costly problems this summer. By preparing your home for the hot summer months, you can save time, lots of frustration and money.
The first key to ensuring proper operation of your central air conditioning system is regular maintenance. Here are some easy tips to follow:
* Schedule your air conditioner tune-up. Call your local heating and air conditioning professional to perform regular service of your cooling system before the summer heat wave arrives and before contractors get really busy with emergency or last-minute calls. A typical maintenance visit should include checking thermostat settings, tightening all electrical connections, lubricating all moving parts, inspecting the condensation drain, checking system controls, cleaning condenser coils, changing filters and adjusting blower components.
* Replace your filter(s). A dirty filter can increase energy costs and damage your equipment — two problems you especially want to avoid in the summer heat. Make sure the replacement filter is approved by your furnace manufacturer. In addition, your HVAC professional can show you how to replace your filters on an ongoing basis to ensure your system is running smoothly all year-round.
* Breathe easier. While you may be able to open your windows in the spring, most families need to close the windows and doors in the summer to keep the cool air inside and the hot air outside. In addition, high traffic in/out of the home can bring in dust and allow outdoor allergens inside. This means that all these particles are getting trapped in your home. This can be especially troubling for any family members suffering from allergies that flare up in the spring and summer. A whole-house air cleaner and/or air treatment system can help remove unwanted particles from the air in every room of a house, versus other air cleaners that just do the job in one specific room.
*Reprogram your thermostat settings for spring and summer. With a programmable thermostat, you can stay more comfortable inside by setting the temperature based on the changing weather outside — whether it’s a hot, scorching day followed by a cooler night or sunny and hot during the day and warm and muggy at night. If you go away on vacation, you can also reprogram your thermostat to higher temperatures before you leave to help save energy costs.
Important notes
* If your system is over 10 years old, you may consider getting an efficiency analysis from your heating and air conditioning professional. This service can give you energy savings comparisons from your current system to a new high efficiency system. With today’s rising energy costs, many homeowners find that a new high efficiency system will pay for itself and more.
* Proactive maintenance is key to ensuring that your air conditioning system runs properly.
* A typical maintenance visit should include checking thermostat settings, tightening all electrical connections, lubricating all moving parts, inspecting the condensation drain, checking system controls, cleaning condenser coils, changing filters, and adjusting blower components.
* Make sure the replacement filter is approved by your furnace manufacturer.
* With a programmable thermostat, you can stay more comfortable inside by setting the temperature based on the changing weather outside.
