6 Tips to Make Your Air Conditioner System Last Longer
Do you want to ensure your Air Conditioner System Lasts Longer? Well, who would say “no” to this?
With the national average cost to install an Air Conditioning System being nearly $5,500, it makes since to do all you can to keep your AC unit working.
In general, the lifespan of most air conditioner systems is just around 10-15 years, so you surely want to get the most out of it. However, it can take a huge toll on your wallet in the case of extensive repairs or a major breakdown of your AC.
Nevertheless, it is possible for you to save yourself from spending your hard-earned money on your AC’s repair and extend its lifespan. Wondering how? You should take into account these ac maintenance tips:
1. AC Maintenance
The single most effective way of extending the life of your AC unit is by being proactive with your AC maintenance.
To fully accomplish this, you should get help once a year from a certified professional who can do cleaning, inspection, and service of your system. These preventative measures will keep minor issues from turning into big ones, and in this way will enhance the life of your system.
What’s more, it will help your AC when you need it most during summertime to stay as fresh as a daisy throughout the day.
2. Invest in a Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat, also referred to as a smart thermostat, is an extreme energy-saving tool. It allows you to easily program and control your AC system via your tablets or smartphone from anywhere.
In other words, a smart thermostat enables you to set the temperature higher when you are not at home, and it will make gradual changes in the temperature throughout the day so when you come back home it is just the right temperature. You can enjoy the following perks in this way:
- On your energy bill, you save some bucks
- Lessen the stress on your AC of significant changes in temperature
- Allow your AC to take a break when there is no need for cooling your home.
Putting it all together, you make use of your system less by autonomously micromanaging the settings of the thermostat, adding to the life of your system.
3. Change Dirty Air Filters
Just like the air filter in your vehicle, the air filter for your AC System is the first line of defense against harmful debris and particles. They perform filtration of the particles during intake of air for to prevent them from clogging up the unit. Additionally, it helps prevent you from breathing in contaminants also!
Throughout your house, there are air filters in select areas. At least once a year, you should change them whenever they become dirty. Your house possibly needs filter changes more frequently if you have furry friends as a part of your family.
4. Keep with Good Indoor Air Quality
It’s easy for air ducts and vents to catch dust as well as other debris and then get polluted. Just as with air filters, when ducts and vents get polluted, they demand your AC system to run harder to pump air into your house and lowers your indoor air quality.
Cleaning out your air ducts and vents will improve the circulation of better-quality air into your house. Moreover, you will save money on repairs by keeping your air ducts and vents clean, in turn adding to the life of your unit.
Apart from this, you need to avoid excess accumulation of indoor heat near thermostats. Since a lot of electronic appliances generate heat, your AC unit will start perceiving it as if a room is hotter than it really is. As a result, the AC works longer to cool down the room. To avoid this, always keep appliances such as lamps, televisions, etc. at a distance from thermostats.
5. Pay Attention to The Outdoor Unit, Too
Though it’s easily forgettable, the outdoor unit of your air conditioner also requires maintenance when it comes to extending the life of your unit.
Trimming back shrubs, trees, and bushes to a clearance of two to three feet around the system is crucial to the maintenance of your outdoor unit and the overall longevity of your AC system. Furthermore, you need to perform regular removal of fallen twigs and leaves from the unit and keep the grass around it trimmed short.
It will consume just a few minutes of your time weekly, but will keep the unit outdoor clean and, thus, better functioning. As a result, there will be no blockage in the airflow so the system will not have to work harder.
6. Reinforce Your AC System
In order to maximize the life of your unit, you need to support and proactively maintain it. On the basis of the season, many little things are there which you can take into consideration for avoiding excess functioning of your AC system.
- In summer, go for installation of blinds or white window shades for reflecting heat.
- Keep the sun-facing blinds and shades closed in the summer season; open them in winter.
- In the summer, the proper direction of running the ceiling fan is counterclockwise (for straight down blowing of the air blows), and vice versa in the winter.
- Avoid overheating or overcooling of your home, since it will consume much more energy for re-regulating the temperature.
- Keep the doors and vents of rooms that do not see much use closed.
- Buy a home service plan from AC experts for ensuring the greatest possible functionality of all equipment.
By following these few, easy AC maintenance tips, you can help ease the burden on your AC system so that it can work smoothly and last longer.
Call Air Services Unlimited today to learn more about our AC maintenance options.