June saw unusually high temperatures, even before summer was officially here. With July here and August just around the corner, air conditioners will be running nearly every day. Central air conditioning is a luxury for some, and others cannot live without it. Expecting to keep cool only to have your home or office never feel comfortable can be frustrating, to say the least. While professional service is sometimes needed, there are a few easy home maintenance tips that can keep your air conditioning system running longer and more efficiently.
Most air conditioning systems found in homes are gas compression split systems. This means there is an outside compressor and an inside heat exchanger inside the ductwork. Air conditioners work by compressing a coolant gas and then rapidly decompressing it. When you squeeze something, it heats up; this happens outside, which is why the air blowing off the condenser is hot. If you have ever sprayed a can of compressed air, like those cans of air to clean computer keyboards, you probably noticed the air is cold, and the can gets cold fast. This is what happens inside the part of the air conditioner in the ductwork. This is what cools the air when you run the air conditioner.
If the air coming out of the ducts is cool but not as cold as it should be, or the house never seems to cool enough, there are some things you can do that may help. First, always test the air with a thermometer; don’t trust your hand. It’s often hard to distinguish between cool air and moving air that makes us feel cool; this is why fans work.
On the outside of the home, start with the compressor. Make sure the compressor is level. Erosion can often lead to the compressor no longer being level. Also, trim back any branches or bushes that may be too close to the compressor. You should have a minimum of two feet on all sides of the compressor, and nothing above it for five feet. Check the fins on the compressor. These can become damaged from yard work, being bumped by the mower or toys, or even from animals or pets. If they need to be straightened, this can be done with a fin comb, available at most hardware stores. Finally, check the insulation on the refrigeration lines. The larger of the two should be completely insulated. If insulation is missing or damaged, replace it. The cost of the insulation is less than the cost of the energy lost.
Inside the home, check the furnace filter. A clogged or dirty filter will restrict airflow and result in it taking much longer to cool the house. Check the inside refrigeration line for insulation. Finally, make sure the condensation is draining correctly into a drain or a condensation pump. Excess water can affect the life of your system.
If your system is not cooling at all, it’s time for professional assistance. A complete lack of cooling could be an issue with the controls for the system or a lack of coolant in the lines. A cooling professional should be able to diagnose the problem and provide the best solution.
These few maintenance tips should help your system last longer and work efficiently this summer.
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