How to Get Your Air Conditioner Ready for Summer?
If things are heating up, brace yourself, summer is coming.
Utah is one of the hotter states in the U.S., and its dryer climate doesn’t help.
You should ensure your cooling equipment, such as air condition systems, is kept in tip-top shape.
Air conditioners require more care and attention in areas like Utah, where summers get really hot and the rest of the year is hardly any different.
Its semi-arid desert climate can be too much to bear and might be enough to overwhelm your HVAC system during the peak of summertime.
When was the last time you had your air conditioner checked?
Standard maintenance checks suggest a yearly inspection. However, a pre-season tune-up is advisable for hotter states.
Remember, don’t put off an air conditioning repair to avoid additional costs.
If you know your air conditioning systems require repairs, act on them immediately to prevent causing further damage and ensure they don’t falter when you need them the most.
Below you will find some helpful tips to ensure your HVAC systems are in fighting shape for a Utahn summer.
How Your Air Conditioning Unit Can Keep You Cool for the Summer
Depending on the configuration of your home, you might have one, two, or more outdoor and indoor units.
Indoor units are called Indoor Air Handlers, and outdoor units are called Outdoor Condensers.
They serve different purposes, providing your home with comfortable Indoor Air Quality (IAQ).
Indoor Air Quality isn’t something you should take for granted; it must be something you know by now.
However, before discussing the major components of air conditioning systems, let’s clarify what it is.
What is Indoor Air Quality?
Indoor Air Quality or IAQ refers to the quality of breathable air within and around enclosed spaces.
The higher IAQ ratings your home has, the better quality of the air you are breathing, which means lesser risks of contamination and heat exposure.
Regardless of its importance, most Americans still know less about it than they should.
If you have an allergy you can’t explain, it might be due to poor indoor air quality.
How Does My Air Conditioner Affect My Indoor Air Quality?
An overflowing air filter may leave your air conditioning systems a breeding ground for impurities. Pollutants, germs, bacteria, mold, and mildew may be hiding in your AC unit.
Neglecting to keep up with routine maintenance check-ups and tune-ups may prevent you from figuring that out and leave you breathing in harmful contaminants.
On top of servicing your AC units, professional HVAC technicians can further perform indoor air quality checks to ensure your health and safety.
Remember, both your air handlers and condensers play a major role in your IAQ, and routinely maintaining them will help keep things up to standard.
Typically, indoor air handlers house your air conditioner’s air filters, refrigerant coils, and other components that require routine maintenance and, if neglected, shall deliver hazardous effects to your home.
Indoor Air Handler
For central air conditioning systems, air handlers look like miniature square-shaped or rectangular vents. They are often plastered on walls and ceilings.
A central cooling system releases cold air from centralized ductwork that’s linked to the outdoor unit. They also have return ducts that extract the ambient heat from your home.
Only one or two air handlers are attached to the same condenser in cooling systems like window types and ductless mini-split systems. This allows for more energy efficiency to be observed and helps you save money on electric bills.
Its air handlers, however, are larger and appear more prominently on your walls. Still, their more modern aesthetic isn’t hard to look at, especially when placed in strategic placements such as the side or middle panels.
Air handlers of any cooling system facilitate airflow in and out of your home. As such, they are more likely to gather particles and store high-pressure air.
Left unchecked, it may malfunction. While they are inside your home, we don’t advise you to go tinkering about its interior.
Electrical issues aren’t for an electrician to deal with, especially for inexperienced users who want to save a few bucks.
If you hear unusual noises, encounter leaks, or have other problems with air handlers, you should call a licensed HVAC technician.
Outdoor Condenser
All air handlers are attached to outdoor counterparts and play an equally large role in maintaining your family’s health and comfort.
Condensers house various wires, coils, blowers, and motors.
They are the first line of defense against unconditioned air penetrating your home. If one component inside your condenser malfunctions or performs poorly, it can throw entire air conditioning systems off.
To ward off a recurring AC repair, you should keep them away from direct sunlight or cover them with anti-UV and anti-heat exposure outdoor covers.
It would be best if you didn’t place them near fixtures that may hinder airflows, such as up against walls, curtains, and other blockages.
Water heaters, heat pumps, and other heating air conditioning components belong inside condensers. While they facilitate heat, we shouldn’t add to its burdens by exposing it to more than it needs to condition. An AC unit can succumb to overwhelming heat and hinder its abilities to manage heat.
Heating air is a huge undertaking, but heating and cooling systems are equipped to deliver. During winter, you can count on your well-maintained air conditioner to warm your indoor environment.
Remember, “water heaters” deal with humidity and added moisture in your systems. Your air conditioner requires just as much attention pre-winter as it does pre-summer.
Banging noises are users’ most commonly reported issue, and dislodged parts may cause them. It is an issue that may cause extensive damage to your air conditioning system.
Any problems with your condenser are easily distinguishable to experienced technicians, who should check your outdoor and indoor units during every inspection.
Disclaimer
For a cost-efficient AC repair, reach out to a reliable HVAC technician. An extremely professional technician can help you cut costs by replacing cogs instead of fundamental components. Don’t be fooled by electricians who fear-monger homeowners into coughing up more money to remedy HVAC issues.
Yes, it happens. Fear-mongering among unlicensed technicians and users is a real threat. They may mess around with your HVAC system and charge for many services, and the damages they cause won’t help you save money.
Remember, an excellent service agency means offering great service at affordable prices. A reliable HVAC specialist that offers AC repairs and other services prioritizes customer care and transparency.
Prominent or established HVAC companies can organize a maintenance check, pre-season tune-up, and routine cleaning every day. You can even add on a new air conditioner installation or upgrade in one day’s work.
Efficiency and transparency are the most distinguishable traits of a reliable HVAC business. If the company you employ designates one job daily, they may be less reliable. Unless you have an entire industrial factory that requires an overhaul HVAC service, professional services for a residential cooling system shouldn’t last longer than one business day.
How to Properly Maintain Your Air Conditioner?
A yearly check-up and tune-up should be on your list of priorities.
However, pre-season maintenance should also be in order as hot as it gets in Utah.
Users report many issues with their air conditioners during peak hot days, but ask them when they last had a refrigerant or air filter replacement, and their answer might not come as a surprise.
Poorly maintained heating and cooling systems face more risks and can harm you and your family.
How Do You Know if an Air Conditioner is Poorly Maintained?
Modern air conditioners have built-in functions that warn users of impending breakdowns and various issues.
However, with more traditional systems, you will have to wait for warning signals to know if your air conditioner is dealing with an issue.
Air Conditioners and Warning Signals
There are various signs users should look out for, like unusual sounds and other unusual behaviors.
Of course, these are warning signals you might never encounter if you kept up with their maintenance.
If you are looking for these signs, maybe you missed your last inspection or tune-up.
Here are things you should look out for:
Unusual Sounds
- Buzzing
- Banging
- Bubbling
Buzzing, banging, and bubbling are the most commonly reported strange noises from an air conditioning unit.
If they become overbearing or become an often recurrence, it would make more sense to call a professional sooner than later.
Air Conditioner Automatically Cycling Off?
A leak in refrigerant tubes may freeze refrigerant coils and trick your cooling system into thinking your indoor environment has reached optimal levels. It is a domino effect that can cause your AC unit to shut down.
Who to Call for Reliable Installations, Repairs, and Maintenance
If you encounter any of these issues, don’t hesitate to call a reliable technician.
Reach out to established companies in your area to help remedy any issues you’re having with your air conditioning.
We can help you with that!
One Stop Heating and Air Conditioning
One Stop Heating and Air Conditioning has helped keep homes safe and comfortable from Sandy to South Jordan and all over Utah.
Whether your house needs HVAC equipment installation, repair, upgrade, maintenance, and replacement, we can help keep the stress away!
