Summer is here (in a way). While the extremely hot temperatures haven’t hit our area, what has come has been muggy some days. This increase in humidity might have some of you turning on your AC, even if only for a short time. Even without heavy usage, it’s still a good idea to practice these maintenance tips for your HVAC system.
Summer Thermostats
Summertime means schedule changes, especially for kids out of school for the summer or families planning to travel for vacation. Make sure to adjust your thermostat settings to account for your family’s new schedule and any vacations that occur. Examples include:
- Later wake-up times in the morning, since there’s no bus to catch for kids
- With family members home all day, adjust setbacks for more occupancy hours rather than a vacant home from 8am to 5pm
- Summer sports and activities that keep you out of the home for periods of time
- Later bedtimes
Improve Your Airflow
Good airflow through your air conditioner helps the system function efficiently and deliver better comfort throughout your living areas. These HVAC maintenance tips show you how to improve airflow through your cooling system this summer:
- Change your air filter on a regular basis. In the summertime, filters often fill up with debris quicker than in the spring because the system runs more frequently. Check the filter each month to determine if a change is necessary.
- Clean off the exterior air conditioner. Do this whenever you do lawn maintenance or cut grass. Grass clippings, mulch, leaves, and other outdoor debris can gather on your condensing unit and block the fins that allow heat to leave the system.
- Clear the area around the outdoor unit. In addition to cleaning, make sure there are no plants or other items in the two feet of space immediately surrounding the unit. Prune shrubs and branches nearby and pull up vegetation that has grown around the unit’s base. Relocate outdoor storage away from your unit to eliminate any airflow obstructions.
- Ensure vents are open and unblocked. Walk through your home and check every vent, register, and return air grille. All vent and register louvers should be set open. Move rugs, furniture, and other items away from the vents and grilles to allow air to freely circulate through the ducts, into your home, and back to the air conditioning system.
