Ten Very Important HVAC Tips for Summer

Do you want to prevent costly repairs and replacements? Schedule air conditioner maintenance with Reliable Heating & Cooling by calling 616-201-3513.

You’ll find few worse experiences during the summer than a broken air conditioner. Keep reading to discover ten HVAC tips for summer so you stay cool and comfortable during the whole season. When you’re ready to schedule maintenance or need repairs, our Reliable Heating & Cooling team is here to help.

As the most experienced HVAC contractor in Holland, MI, they provide expert and professional service to your entire HVAC system.

1. Check Your Filters

Air filters help eradicate pollutants and other particles, granting pure air and avoiding allergy and respiratory issues. An air conditioner could have one of several types of air filters. While some are reusable once and easy to clean, others require regular replacement.

Depending on the type of filter, you should check them every 30 to 90 days for excessive accumulation. If you smoke, have pets, or live in a polluted area, check your filters more frequently to prevent problems.

2. Inspect Ducts and Vents

Your HVAC system relies on a series of ducts and vents to transport and deliver the cooled air. With age and use, they can develop blockages from accumulating dirt and kinks, holes, and tears. With an annual inspection, you can verify your air ducts won’t cause a problem.

During the checkup, your HVAC specialist will look for leaks and clean out any buildup to prevent blockages.

3. Clean Outside

Several essential air conditioner components rest outside your home. The outdoor AC condenser is vulnerable to trees, dirt, and nesting wild animals. 

Regularly clean the exterior area around your air conditioner and clear it from encroaching plants. As a general rule, your air conditioner requires two feet of space around it to avoid crowding issues. You can clean the outdoor portion of your unit with a gentle hose, but to guarantee you don’t cause further damage, an HVAC technician can clean it as part of their routine maintenance.

4. Improve Your Cooling Power

While air conditioners have a long history of providing comfortable air, they still need help. You can improve your air conditioner’s cooling power by installing a programmable thermostat. 

They allow for more nuanced control of the temperature, which means you’re less likely to overwork your air conditioner. They also increase energy efficiency, which saves you money on your energy bills and leaves you a bigger budget for maintenance and repairs.

5. Seal Leaky Areas

One of the most important HVAC tips for summer is to seal the leaky areas of your home. Examine the quality of your window seals and cracks under your door, and reduce the gaps through which cold air can escape and warm air can enter. 

Have your HVAC specialist check your home’s insulation, especially in the attack and crawl spaces. With improved insulation, you can maintain a cool temperature longer and run your air conditioner less.

6. Moderate Your Usage

Programmable thermostats can help prevent you from running your air conditioner while you’re not at home. While it’s tempting to keep your home cool so you can return to a comfortable space, it’s a waste of energy and quickly ages your air conditioner. 

Program your thermostat to stop running while you’re away and start cooling about a half hour before you return home. You can also use the most efficient temperature, even if it’s not the most comfortable. When you set your thermostat to 78 degrees Fahrenheit, you save money and prevent your air conditioner from working too hard.

7. Use Fans

Using ceiling and box fans can aid your air conditioner by lowering the ambient temperature in your home and require less usage of your AC unit. Ceiling fans can lower the temperature in your home by several degrees and help it feel cooler by enhancing your body’s cooling ability. Setting your fans to run clockwise can push the air downward and prevent it from activating your air conditioner.

8. Install Window Treatments

The right shade, blind, or tinting can block out a large portion of sunlight, UV rays, and heat and act like insulation to keep your home cooler longer. Much like running a fan, the window treatments make it easier to moderate how frequently you use your air conditioner, increasing efficiency and decreasing the wear and tear on your AC unit.

9. Purchase a Warranty

Even with top-tier maintenance, you can’t control every facet of your HVAC system. When you purchase a warranty, you guarantee you’re covered against various types of damages and that a professional will fix them both quickly and affordably. Most air conditioner manufacturers provide a basic warranty that covers most damages, provided you keep up with a regular maintenance schedule.

10. Schedule Regular Maintenance

Scheduling regular maintenance is the most important tip in caring for your air conditioner. Professionals suggest scheduling the annual care checkups in spring and fall. 

When you call Reliable Heating & Cooling, we include the following service in every inspection:

• We dismantle the unit to facilitate easier inspection and detection of any problems.
• We check all components for wear and tear and help prevent problems before they occur.
• The technician lubricates all moving parts to help them last longer and reduce wear and tear.
• The expert replaces any brittle, broken, or worn-out parts. We rarely have to order parts for most modern air conditioner models.
• We’ll make minor adjustments to obtain optimal airflow.
• The technician recalibrates and fine-tunes the thermostat.
• We clean the condenser coils, check refrigerant levels, inspect the motor, and reset the unit.