Exploring Furnace Repairs

The comfort of your home during the summer is dependent upon the ability of your home's AC to work well. You have the power to keep your system blowing cool air and pulling heat from your home. Here are some recommendations for you to implement with your home AC unit from the moment of your AC installation, to help you keep it working well and in good function.

Maintain the Fins

For your air conditioner to work well it needs to be in good condition, inside and out. This includes the outside compressor of your whole-home air conditioner, which is usually set up on the outside of your home, at the point nearest to the inside HVAC and blower unit. Be sure you protect your outside compressor from balls, yard tools, and an occasional rock that your lawn mower may fling through the air. These items can badly damage your air conditioner's condenser fins that are on the exterior of the unit and are responsible for expelling heat that your AC pulls from your home's interior.  When these fins become bent or crushed, they won't be able to work as well and will block the out flow of heat, making your air conditioner work harder to maintain your preferred temperature.

If your fins do become dented-in and bent, you can straighten them to help restore their function. Use the tip of a butter knife to smooth out any dents to an area of fins, or you can use an air conditioner compressor fin straightener comb. You can also clean the outside of the fins to remove dirt and other debris by spraying them with your garden hose. An AC fin cleaning solution is also helpful to restoring the cleanliness of your fins.

Look For Energy Saving Maintenance

As a responsible homeowner and someone who wants to ensure your air conditioner works well, you need to take some purposeful actions to help your air conditioner remain more efficient. One of the first things you can always do easily is to check the filter and replace or clean it when it gets dirty. Some HVACs have a reusable filter you can clean with a soft brush and spray from your water hose. Be sure you let it air dry before you insert it back into your HVAC system. For replaceable filters, it is helpful to keep a couple or three extra filters on hand so you can replace them when you check your unit. Plan to check the filter's condition at least once a month.

Another step you can take is to hire a professional service technician to complete a tune-up on your air conditioner each year. In early spring it is a good time to arrange an tune-up appointment to get your air conditioner ready for the season. Your professional can clean and oil your system.