Summer is here, and that means so are the Inland Empire’s sweltering summer temperatures. Air conditioning is an extremely vital part of life during these next several months, so it’s important to make sure your system is functioning to its fullest potential in order to stay comfortable and even to save money. If it seems like your air conditioner is performing below your expectations, such as giving you weak airflow or struggling to keep your home cool, then you may be looking for ways to boost its performance.
If this sounds like a situation you’re in, our team is here to help. Here are a few valuable tips for turbocharging your air conditioner this summer so you can enjoy better overall performance and better comfort while even saving money on your energy bills.
Open All Vents & Registers
One of the most common myths or misconceptions about air conditioning systems is that closing a vent or register in one room will increase airflow and efficiency to all other rooms in your home. This simply isn’t true. Think of it sort of like partially obscuring a water hose with your thumb—yes, it might make your water spray with more pressure, but it doesn’t actually make the water come out of the hose any faster. Instead, all you’re doing is putting a lot of additional pressure on your hose itself, and any small holes will likely expand with this sudden increase in water pressure inside the hose.
The same thing happens with your HVAC system—when vents and registers are closed, your air ducts are forced to deal with additional air pressure, and that means reduced efficiency, strain on components like your condenser coil and blower fans, and so much more. If you want to maximize the performance of your air conditioner, open all of your vents and registers. This includes moving any furniture or other objects out of the way of any vents that are low to the ground or mounted in your floor, as they can severely restrict airflow, resulting in a similar effect.
Change Your HVAC Air Filter
Poor airflow doesn’t just happen on the exit end of your air conditioning system; in fact, it usually happens right up front when the air enters your HVAC system for the first time. One of the first things air encounters is your air filter—a screen designed to remove floating debris like dust, mold, and more. Over time, your filter will fill up with this junk and debris, restricting airflow and preventing your filter form doing its job. When this happens, you need to change your air filter. In fact, we find that the average homeowner doesn’t change their air filter nearly often enough—depending on your home, you should be changing it every three months or so, and more during peak use seasons like summer.
Have Your Refrigerant Supply Topped Off
One of the reasons your air conditioner may not be producing a ton of cold air, even though it seems to be running frequently, is because you don’t have enough refrigerant in your air conditioning system. When this happens, you need to call a professional and have them top off your refrigerant supply. It’s extremely important to let a professional do this—too much refrigerant could result in blown seals and irreparable damage to vital air conditioning components, while not enough refrigerant can also cause tremendous damage due to a lack of fluid. A professional will also make sure you have the right refrigerant installed, as using the wrong one could have disastrous consequences.
Have Your Air Conditioner Maintained
Finally, a tune-up service is a great way to give your air conditioner a much-needed boost in performance. Over time, parts will eventually begin to wear out, meaning they don’t move as easily and they produce less cold air as a result. When you have your air conditioner maintained, your air conditioning technician will make sure various components of your system are in good working health and ready to perform optimally throughout the cooling season. This helps you save money on energy bills, avoid costly and frustrating breakdowns, and even extends the life of your air conditioner.
However, perhaps the biggest benefit of a tune-up is that it gives you an idea of what kind of problems you may find yourself facing soon, giving you the option to either fix them now or to plan to fix them in the future. This means no surprises and better ability to keep your home cool all summer long.
Stay cool this summer with high-quality cooling solutions from All Pro Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical! Contact us by dialing (909) 500-8193 today!
