When you invest a new central air conditioning system, you want to make sure that you take care of it properly. While you can call in a professional for all your maintenance needs, there are also a lot of maintenance jobs that you can do yourself.
Here are some of the top maintenance tips for a new A/C system that you can use to keep your system running smoothly.
Maintenance Tips to Keep Your System in Top Shape
1. Change Your Air Filter Regularly
Your air filter removes many types of harmful contaminants from the air that passes through your ductwork. When your filter is dirty it is unable to effectively remove contaminants from your air, which leads to poor indoor air quality.
Depending on the type of system you have a new filter can range in price from around $15 to $50. Inspect your filter every month and change it if you can't see through to the other side when you hold it up to a light. As a general rule, you should change the filter at least every other month.
2. Seal Air Leaks
Most homes have air leaks that allow precious, filtered and cooled air to escape and warm air to enter the home. The result of air leaks is that your A/C has to work harder to replace that lost cool air. This added work not only increases the wear and tear on your system, leading to breakdowns and a shorter life span, but also to significantly higher energy bills.
How do you find the air leaks in your home? This related blog post explains how you can perform a check yourself around the windows and doors in your home. You can seal air leaks on your own with caulking or weatherstripping at a minimum cost for the supplies purchased at a home improvement store. How do you find the air leaks in your home?
3. Clean and Insulate Ductwork
A large volume of air passes through your ductwork anytime you run your A/C. When your ductwork is dirty, it can impede air transfer and make your A/C work harder, again leading to higher energy bills and more wear and tear. Secondly, ductwork that isn't insulated will be exposed to heat before it reaches its destination.
You should clean your ductwork regularly — at least once a year — then add insulation as necessary. The cost of insulation will depend on how much ductwork you have and the cost of cleaning can run up to a few hundred dollars. However, the energy and cost savings of taking this step can be significant. Here is a helpful video that shows the process of sealing and insulating your ducts.
4. Turn Off the Humidifier in Summer Months
A common problem that many modern homes face is a fluctuation humidity levels. When the indoor humidity of the air in your home is high in the summer, your home will feel warmer than desired and your system must work harder to remove heat and moisture from the air. So, if you have a humidifier installed on your furnace or use a free-standing unit, you'll want to turn the system off in the summer so you are not adding excess moisture to the air.
Both high and low humidity levels can have an effect on your HVAC system, as described in more detail here.
5. Install a Programmable Thermostat
A programmable thermostat allows you to schedule setting changes in advance. Many products available today offer multiple settings and some allow a different setting for each day of the week. You can program the temperature to be a little warmer when you'll be away from home for several hours at a time or at night. This allows you to optimize the amount that you run your A/C, which minimizes the stress placed on it.
A new programmable thermostat is very affordable and will typically pay for itself within the first few years.
6. Clean Your System
Your outdoor compressor unit is exposed to a lot of dust, dirt and weather all year long. The accumulation of dirt and debris can impede air transfer and lower your system's efficiency. A lower efficiency means your A/C once again has to work harder. If you decide to take this step yourself, you can follow the steps in this helpful video.
While you are at it, clean your indoor coils for the same reason, as mold and dust will often accumulate.
7. Get a Tune-up
While most of these maintenance tips for a new A/C system can be done on your own, there are some things that only professionals have the experience and expertise to do. Getting an inexpensive tune-up once a year, often only about $100, will ensure that any big problems are caught ahead of time.
Generally, the tune-up will include a check of all your system's major components, cleaning of the indoor and outdoor units and a filter change, if requested. The technician will also make you aware of any potential issues he/she sees that may arise in the near future so you can plan ahead for possible repairs.
Protect Your Investment for the Long Term
While maintaining your new A/C may seem like a lot of work, follow these maintenance tips for a new A/C system will keep it running at peak performance. You may also save money down the road on repairs and extend the life of your system overall. As you get to know your system better, it will become easier as you gain experience with performing these low-cost maintenance measures.
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