Operating an air conditioner when the outside temperature reaches above 100° can take a serious toll on your system. If you are concerned about wear and tear on your AC unit, or you simply don’t know how to make your unit work better during extreme heat, we’re here to help. Here are a few tips:
Make Sure Your Air Conditioner is Clean
One of the biggest problems that we see with air conditioners is that debris from the fall and winter has built up around the outside unit. This blocks airflow through the system and keeps your unit from carrying away as much heat as it needs to during the summer. Taking the time to clean up around your unit and making sure that it isn’t blocked is the first step in protecting your system.
Setting Your Thermostat
The single best way to reduce stress on your air conditioner is by limiting the amount of cooling it has to do. When you are away from home, use a programmable thermostat to turn the temperature up inside by a few degrees. This will keep the system from working hard during the hottest hours of the afternoon. Instead, it can kick on during the evening, right before you get home from work. Even when you are home, turning the temperature up by a degree or two can cut down on the amount of time that the AC is running.
Regular Maintenance
If there is any chance at all that your system has leaked refrigerant during the fall or winter seasons, it’s highly suggested to have your system serviced. You should be performing maintenance and inspections at least twice a year anyway, but this is especially important during extreme temperatures. If your system is running low on refrigerant, it could be running until it freezes over. While this may seem like routine cycling at first, it can cause serious damage in the long run. You can usually tell because the system will run for prolonged periods of time and then it won’t kick on again for several hours while it works to thaw out.
Day and Night Air offers regular maintenance plans for Phoenix AC systems. Give us a call and we will send out an experienced HVAC contractor to check your refrigerant, make sure your filters are clear and more. This will keep your AC unit happy and healthy during the hottest months of the year without causing unnecessary damage.
