If you’re like most people, the air conditioner in your home runs year-round. That’s a heavy load to carry. If you’re not careful, you may find yourself replacing your unit prematurely. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to lower the amount of strain the AC system in your Sebastian, Florida, home experiences that can help extend its lifespan. Keep reading to learn more about strategies that will keep your unit in good working order for years to come.
Use a Smart Thermostat
Installing a smart thermostat helps extend the life of your AC unit by decreasing the amount of times it runs, thereby reducing the amount of strain it experiences over the years. In addition, smart thermostats allow you to use your phone or tablet to control your AC system from anywhere. They’re easy to program and particularly useful when you’re out of town or at work and realize you forgot to change your thermostat settings. Some models are even able to learn your habits and make energy-saving adjustments on their own.
Change Your Filter Regularly
Changing your filter regularly is vital to the health of your air conditioner. How often you change yours depends on the type of filter you use. But it’s common to replace them about every 90 days. If your filter is dirty, change it. A dirty filter means your AC system has to work overtime to circulate the air in your home. As a result, it endures added strain and works harder to cool your home, which can lead to frequent breakdowns.
Schedule Preventive Maintenance
While AC systems aren’t particularly high maintenance, it’s important to have them inspected and serviced once or twice a year. Without proper care, your system is likely to fail long before it should.
Unchecked, relatively minor issues can morph into bigger ones that can increase your utility bills, impact your comfort level and ultimately shorten the lifespan of your AC system. Regular service visits make it easier to catch small issues before they cause major problems.
Don’t Overload Your System
Set your thermostat to a reasonable level. The life of your AC system is largely dependent on how you treat it. If you push your unit to maintain temperatures that are vastly different from the outside temperature, you’ll put unnecessary strain on the unit.
For example, if it’s 98 degrees outside and you set your thermostat to 69, your unit will never reach 69 degrees, but it’ll run all day trying to get there. It’s understandable to want to stay comfortable. But attempting to overcome such a large difference in temperature will only stress your unit. Opting for a more reasonable temperature difference will reduce the load on your unit and help it last longer.
Size Your Unit Correctly
Installing the right-sized air conditioning system is important. The size of your home determines how much power an AC system needs to keep your house at a comfortable temperature. A system that’s sized incorrectly for your home will have a hard time keeping you comfortable and likely lead to premature system failure.
A unit that’s too small will run for hours without effectively cooling your home. A unit that’s too big will spend too much time in the startup cycle, the most energy-draining part of each heating and cooling cycle.
Provide a Helping Hand
You can take steps to reduce the load on your air conditioner that have nothing to do with the unit itself. For example, keeping your blinds closed in the summer will help your house stay cooler. As a result, your air conditioner won’t have to work as hard. Conversely, keeping them open in the winter will help keep your house warm. You can also use ceiling fans to help cool your home instead of relying solely on your unit.
In addition, making sure your home is properly sealed and insulated will prevent the flow of heat from entering your home. This helps maintain a comfortable temperature indoors without making your AC system work overtime.
Like any other piece of machinery, your air conditioner requires consistent care and maintenance to work properly. If you’re interested in having your unit serviced, give the professionals at Barker Air Conditioning and Heating a call today at 772-562-2103.
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