Your air conditioner works hard to keep your Northeast Ohio home comfortable during the long, hot summer. Improving your system’s cooling power and maintaining high system efficiency is largely a matter of helping your system along to take some of the pressure off of your A/C compressor. The cooler your home, the less your compressor will cycle on and off, and the longer your system will last. These cooling tips will help you take a load off of your air conditioner and stay cooler at a lower cost all summer long.
Maintain your system:
- Annual preventive maintenance goes a long way toward improving system efficiency. A tune-up will include tightening electrical connections and inspecting the controls for proper cycling, as well as measuring for the correct level of refrigerant and a number of other essential tasks.
- Check your air filter every month and replace it when you can no longer see through it. A dirty filter impedes airflow to your system, making it work harder to keep you cool.
- Spray down your outdoor unit each month to remove debris from the fins, which prevents optimum air flow and inhibits proper heat exchange.
Keep your home cooler
- Seal air leaks to prevent cool air from escaping and warm air from entering. Caulk around stationary components of windows and doors, and apply weatherstripping between movable parts. Use expandable caulk to seal around service entrances, vents and pipes that protrude through exterior walls.
- Seal your air ducts. The typical home loses 20 to 40 percent of conditioned air through leaky ductwork. Use metal tape or mastic sealant to seal loose joints and cracks.
- Keep your shades closed during the day to prevent radiant heat from entering your home through the windows.
- Don’t operate heat-generating appliances during the hottest part of the day.
- Use fans to help you feel cooler, but be sure to turn them off when you leave the room.
For more expert advice about extending the life of your A/C compressor, please contact us at Stack Heating & Cooling, proudly serving the Greater Cleveland area since 1976.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Cleveland, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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