Overview
Fredericksburg is just preparing for its sweltering, and might we say, sizzling Summer.
Temperatures are expected to reach as high as 95° Fahrenheit. Yes, that’s right!
Worried your air conditioners are going to give in and leave you at the mercy of the sun?
Hold on! Don’t let sweat form on your forehead just as yet.
We are going to present our 10 most effective ways to improve your air-conditioning just in time for summer.
Improve Your Air Conditioning | 10 Effective Ways
Our tips are going to give you 10 reasons to enjoy the summer and beat the heat without investing in a new air-conditioning unit. You’d love that, wouldn’t you?
By the time you are done with our guide, you are going to experience temperatures dropping and your home being wrapped in a gentle and cool environment.
So, without any further ado, let’s get right to it.
1. Placement Of The Outdoor Unit
It is essential to place the outdoor in a shady area, so it does not heat up and continues to exhaust out the warm air efficiently.
Surely, for the air-conditioner to keep your home cool, it needs to stay cool itself right?
Shade will do the trick.
You might be wondering what should you do if you have already placed your air-conditioner’s outdoor unit under the scorching sun? Is there no respite for you?
Again, let us not break a sweat of worry!
You can produce shade on top of your outdoor unit to reduce heat’s impact. A six-foot clearance above the fan is ideal. Another option includes dialing up professionals, such as the ones at OHA HVAC, Plumbing, Roofing, Chimney & Fireplaces, to have the outdoor unit’s position changed.
2. Cleaning The Outdoor Unit
Before summer arrives, is the perfect opportunity to get your hands dirty, the outdoor unit cleaned, and your house tremendously cooler.
Dust and debris collect in air-conditioner’s outdoor units. Not only do dust and debris choke the air-conditioning system, but they could also cause damage to wires and other parts that can be as costly as getting a new air-conditioning system.
To stop that from happening, all you need is a powerful hand-held vacuum cleaner, a pair of gloves and mask, and some determination to give a squeaky-clean air conditioning service to the outdoor unit. Do not use a pressure washer.
Make this a seasonal habit and you will discover that you don’t need to avail AC repair services to sort out your AC’s problems so often.
3. Dusting The Indoor Unit
We can sense you are already thrilled by the idea of doing some cleaning. We have some more for you!
Just as it is necessary to take care of the outdoor unit doing the hard work under strenuous conditions, it is equally necessary and rewarding to clean the indoor unit.
Same protocol, but a different method.
- Grab a pair of gloves, a mask, and a couple of brushes with soft bristles.
- Clean the most visible layer of dust and debris from the indoor unit using a microfiber cloth.
- Follow through with using a brush to clean the flaps.
The next step is a bit tricky, but doable, nonetheless.
- Remove the filters out and give them a nice cleaning.
- If the dust clings onto filters, you can even wash them with dishwashing soap and some tap water.
A little bit of effort and soon your air-conditioner will breathe freely letting you enjoy your snuggle time in a chilled room.
4. Getting Regular Maintenance
Maintenance is important. We all know that. What we do not realize is the type of maintenance our air-conditioning units require.
That is because there are so many technical aspects that a normal person would not be aware of.
Plus, you may not have all the right tools at home to get the job done.
From air duct cleaning to condenser and evaporator coils cleaning, air-conditioners require a professional air conditioning repair service to function optimally and deliver the best results.
One of the important pillars of maintenance is refilling the gas in your air-conditioning units.
More than 90% of the time, the only reason why ACs begin to perform badly is a lack of cooling gas.
Air-conditioning units rely on refrigerant gases, such as Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) and R-22, to cool the area.
HFCs are generally better than other gases. Moreover, if you are someone who is concerned about global warming as much as you are concerned about the heat in your room, HFC will be the ultimate option for you.
A consequence of faulty wires is leakage of CFCs. If you find that your air-conditioner continuously requires gas refills, it might be a sign of leakages.
Remember that it’s always a good time to avail air conditioning repair and maintenance services to ensure your AC is sealed and works perfectly.
5. Leveraging Copper to Improve Air-Conditioners
Devil is in the detail. Or should we say cooling is in the details?
Wires are extremely important for air conditioners. Cheap wires can cause frequent breakdowns and even fire. It is hard and paradoxical to imagine a cooling unit to catch fire, but the danger is real!
Copper wires are most durable and safe to use. As you get your ACs professionally inspected and cleaned, it would be a good idea to check what wires your air-conditioners have.
If the wires are of low quality, you will have to be careful with how long you are keeping the air-conditioner switched on.
Ultimately, whether your AC is lined with good quality wires or bad ones, it is a good practice to turn the AC off after every three to four hours to let it cool itself before it cools you and your surroundings.
6. Keeping It Cool with A Thermostat
It is often the smallest things that make the biggest impact. A small wall-mounted thermostat could be that smallest item that brings your air-conditioning unit to life.
An electronic thermostat detects when the room is sufficiently cool and signals you to change air-conditioning unit’s settings accordingly.
Most air-conditioners come fitted with an internal system that can be turned on and put to auto. As a result, the air-conditioner changes settings accordingly.
However, not every air-conditioner has a good quality thermostat that works without any glitches. Hence, a thermostat does wonders to improve your air conditioner’s performance by leaps and bounds.
7. Taking Care of Air Leaks
Often, what limits air conditioners’ performance are things that are beyond the air-conditioner’s control.
One of such culprits is air leaks. Air leaks are any openings that let the cold air leak out and play their criminal part in warming your room.
A well-sealed room is a well-air-conditioned room. Therefore, any openings that could potentially leak the air out must be filled.
8. Insulation Layers to The Rescue
Insulation is anything that preserves and maintains a particular temperature. More commonly, it is used to trap the cold air that allows keeping the room colder for longer time periods.
From getting an insulated roof to painting the walls white or putting up thick blinds, small steps that you take today can offer a tremendous performance of the air-conditioner tomorrow!
9. Hide The Sun Where It Shouldn’t Shine
Sun and your air-conditioners are each others’ archnemesis.
However, it is not enough to place the air-conditioning units away from the sun and under a shade. There is a lot more sunshine to it!
The room that has the air-conditioner must be away from direct sunlight. If there are any windows, they must be closed and hidden behind dark curtains that block all light as well as provide insulation.
Blocking direct sunlight can lower the natural temperature of your room that improves AC performance. There are still sources of heat that undermine your air-conditioners, coolers, and chillers.
Bulbs, stoves, computers, refrigerators, and other heat-producing appliances consume a lot of energy as well as produce heat energy. As these heavy-duty appliances consume more energy, they leave little to nothing for the air-conditioning units.
As a result, air-conditioners, ignored and unattended, begin to perform poorly. Now, like caring owners and guardians, one must take care of them just as residents of Fredericksburg, VA take care of each other.
Switching off heavy appliances that also produce heat is a sure way to improve the performance of your air-conditioning systems.
10. Ceiling Fans
Reverse engineering, the art of breaking down complex technology into a simpler one, is picking up pace.
We thought it would be a great idea to utilize the same concept for our guide too. A ceiling fan can do wonders and help your air-conditioning unit achieve higher efficiency.
A ceiling fan pushes the warm air down and helps lift cool air upward.
The same task is done by your air-conditioner too: lift the cold air and push the warm air down. So, a ceiling fan reduces the effort your AC systems put thereby improving performance.
Parting Thoughts
Air-conditioners are a novel technology – even after two decades!
Despite improvements in the technology, there are still methods to employ, tricks to use, and our guide to get insights from to make the most out of your air-conditioner and enjoy summers in – quite literally – a cool style.
If all the information seems overwhelming, you can always contact OHA HVAC, Plumbing, Roofing, Chimney & Fireplaces and get a professional consultation from the comfort of your home in Fredericksburg, VA.
So, are you ready to welcome summers with a cool, air-conditioned hug?
