Keep Your Air Conditioning Working Properly with These 4 Quick Tips

We’re hitting the hot days of summer here in Central Illinois. As the heat rises, your air conditioner is hard at work keeping your home cool and comfortable. Keeping your air conditioning working properly helps lower utility bills, saves energy, and prolongs the life of your air conditioning unit.

Here are 4 Quick Tips to Help Keep Your Air Conditioning Working Properly

1. Change your filter

Most people let their filters get too dirty. In fact, a dirty filter is one of the most common reasons for poor performance in air conditioners. It seems too simple, doesn’t it? But, a dirty filter adds resistance and reduces air flow. Be sure to change the filter to your air conditioning system. It’s a low-cost, simple step that really will prolong the life of your air conditioning unit.

2. Clean a Plugged Evaporator Drain

Air conditioning systems work by taking warm humid air from your home’s interior and blowing it over the evaporator coil. The cold coil absorbs heat from the air and cools it. Then, the air is circulated back into your home. The humidity in the air condenses on the cool surface of the evaporator coil as liquid water and drips into a pan below. The water in the pan then flows into a drain tube that is typically routed into a basement floor drain. I used to hate to see that drain in the basement. But, the hot humid days here in Central Illinois have made me love it. I now literally see it as humidity going down the drain! Here’s the gross part, however: over time, algae and mold can build up, plugging the drain. A plugged drain will spill out onto the floor or, if the system is equipped with a drain float, cause the system to stop cooling. Keeping the evaporator drain cleaned of any gunk is a cost-free way to ensure your AC unit doesn’t stop cooling. And, means no water spills out onto your floor.

3. Ensure you are getting proper air flow

In addition to the air filter, your AC unit may have other types of air flow problems. If the evaporator coil is dirty, not enough air moves across it and your home doesn’t cool off properly. This is a problem we see often. Air flow problems can also result if your condenser coil is crowded with vegetation or other obstacles. Be sure to keep bushes, leaves, and other debris away from your condenser coil.

4. Look for disconnected ducts

Check to make certain all ducts are fitted properly. And, make sure all supply ducts are running to areas of the home that are meant to be cooled. Sending cool air to the attic or crawl space can have an immediate impact on your comfort. This is an easy problem to miss, especially in homes where remodeling jobs have taken place.

Still having trouble with your AC unit? Give the team at AirAce Heating and Cooling a call. We offer air conditioning cleaning and checkup services at reasonable rates! Or, sign up for our easy hassle-free Maintenance Plan and we’ll check your air conditioning and your heating system yearly for you.