We recommend that you schedule professional maintenance for your air conditioner at least once each year. But in between those appointments, you need to be taking steps of your own to care for your AC. In fact, the care steps that you take make the biggest difference in the efficiency and overall lifespan of your unit.
You can keep reading to learn our tips for maintaining your air conditioner on a monthly basis to boost energy efficiency and effective cooling as well as extend your unit’s lifespan. If you do notice anything out of the ordinary during any of your monthly maintenance steps, you can give our team a call for air conditioning service in Federal Way, WA.
Pay Attention to the Air Filter
Taking care of the air filter in your air conditioner is actually a twofold process. The first step is to choose an appropriate air filter. This usually means selecting a filter with a MERV rating of somewhere between 8 and 13. A filter with a rating lower than 8 may not capture enough particles, ultimately leading to more dust circulating through your home.
A stronger air filter may block airflow since your AC unit is only designed to have so much cooling power. Once you have an air filter in place, it is important to note the length of time that it is rated to last. Most air filters last for anywhere between 1-3 months before they need to be replaced.
It’s a good idea to write the date on the side of your air filter when you put it into place so you know exactly when it needs to be changed. But don’t rely on memory to change the filter out on time. Instead, set a reminder using your phone or mark the date on your calendar so you remember to change the air filter out before it gets clogged.
Prevent Water Leaks
It’s easy to prevent water leaks by simply cleaning out the condensate drain line. Your air conditioner works to remove some of the humidity from the air as part of the cooling process that it completes. This humidity condenses down into droplets and drains outside of your home via the condensate drain line.
Unfortunately, the drain line is very prone to mold growth that can clog the line and cause water to back up in your home and spill out. When you rinse the drain line once a month with around half a cup of vinegar, you can destroy mold spores and prevent a clog from ever developing in the first place.
Boost Airflow
Another part of the cooling process is channeling heat to the outdoor portion of your air conditioner. Heat gets absorbed by the refrigerant and then dispelled outside as a refrigerant condenses back down to its liquid form to repeat the cooling process again.
But if your outdoor unit is particularly dirty, those dirt particles can block airflow out, meaning that more heat gets trapped inside of your home. Even if your unit doesn’t look particularly dirty, it’s a good idea to set your water hose to a gentle pressure and rinse off the unit once each month. This is a great way to maintain strong airflow coming out of your unit so that heat can leave effectively and boost cooling ability.
Contact Sound Heating and Air Conditioning Inc. today to schedule an appointment for AC maintenance service! We take your comfort as seriously as you do.