The long Los Angeles summer can take a toll on your air conditioner, lowering its efficiency over the course of the cooling season. These tips will help you keep your A/C performing optimally all summer to lower your utility bills while maintaining a high level of comfort and extending the operating life of your system.
Schedule annual preventive maintenance, which will ensure your air conditioner starts the season off clean and efficient. Among other essential tasks, your qualified HVAC technician will remove dust buildup from inside your system, tighten electrical connections, lubricate the moving parts and inspect the fan, motor and condenser for wear and damage.
Keep your air filter clean. A dirty air filter prevents the optimum flow of air to your system, causing it to work harder to keep you cool and raising your cooling costs. Check your air filter monthly and replace it with a good-quality, pleated filter when it’s dirty. A clean filter will also improve your indoor air quality and prevent dust from building up on essential components of your system.
Use your air conditioner wisely:
- Turn the thermostat up when you leave the house or retire for the evening.
- Keep doors and windows closed when operating your air conditioner.
- Run your hot water and heat-generating appliances only in the evening to reduce the cooling load for your system and keep your home cooler during the day.
- Close the supply registers in rooms that you don’t occupy, but don’t close off more than 20 percent of your registers or you’ll risk a reduction of airflow to your system, lowering its cooling capabilities.
Seal air leaks and ducts in your home.to increase your comfort and reduce the amount of conditioned air that escapes. Seal around doors, windows and service entrances with caulk and weatherstripping. Seal cracks and loose joints in your ducts with metal tape or mastic duct sealant.
For more expert advice on maintaining your A/C system and increasing your summertime comfort, please feel free to contact us at Around the Clock Air Conditioning and Heating, Inc., proudly serving Los Angeles since 1967.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Los Angeles, North Hollywood and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about A/Cs and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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