Now that summer is in full swing here in most of the United States my thoughts have turned to my central air conditioning unit and how thankful I am that I have it! My central AC unit is about ten years old and I’m going to have to start thinking about replacing it in the next couple years. In the meantime there are plenty of things I can do to keep my central air conditioning running efficiently and lasting a little longer.
Here are some central air conditioning maintenance tips that could save you some cash in the long run and keep you cool this summer:
These tips will help keep you and your Air Conditioner cool this summer!
Keep Your AC Clear
The big AC unit that sits outside your house is called the condenser and it’s what actually cools the liquid in the coils of your AC. Cooler coils mean cooler air in your house. You’ll want to keep the area around the condenser clear of grass, bushes, leaves and just about everything else so that the fan gets the maximum amount of air that it can. A good rule of thumb is to make sure there is nothing blocking the vents or around the unit for one or two feet in every direction. And be careful to make sure that cut grass isn’t blowing into the unit each time you mow your lawn.
Keep Your AC Clean
Different air conditioning units can be cleaned different ways, but you generally want to make sure that the interior is free of debris on the outside and inside. To clean your air conditioning unit you should always check your service manual first, but there are some general steps. Make sure you turn off the power to the unit before cleaning. Most units can be cleaned with a hose sprayed from the top down, washing any dirt or debris from the inside. You might want to remove one side panel of the outside unit and then take a broom or rake and any left over debris or leaves that have been washed down to the bottom. Some sites recommend cleaning the coils with soft brushes or wet rags, but coils can be damaged easily. I’ve found that spraying them down with water usually works fairly well.
You’ll also want to keep your AC unit clear and clean during the winter off season when you’re not using it. There are some pros and cons to covering your AC during the winter and your choice will ultimately depend upon your situation.
Keep Your Condenser Cool
The U.S. Department of Energy recommends shading your central AC unit so that it doesn’t have to work as hard to cool the coils inside it. This is a great idea and one which I haven’t taken advantage of yet. My AC unit sits in the hot sun for about half the day until the sun moves over my home, so during the early afternoon my AC is working hard just to keep my house, not to mention itself, cool. Planting a shade tree near (but not too near) the unit is a great idea. According to the U.S. Department of Energy this one action could save you up to 10% on your cooling bill!
Keep The Temperature Consistent
Don’t turn your AC unit on and off because that can burn out the interior switches and sometimes even mess up your thermostat. You’re better off setting your thermostat temperature and letting the air conditioning catch up and do its job without your interference. To save even more money you can use an automatic thermostat which you can program to change the temperature to be a little warmer in your house when you’re typically away during the day. You’ll also want to keep your central air conditioner fan on AUTO and not ON all the time. These systems are meant to cycle on their own terms and keeping your furnace fan ON all the time could actually make your home warmer as you blow warm air back into your home.
Checked Your Air Conditioner Regularly
You’ll want to check a couple different things on your AC about once a month. You’ll want to check your air filter and replace it a little more than usual. Some sites recommend replacing it once a month, but I think that might be a little over zealous. My filters cost me nearly $20 a piece and the manufacturer suggests changing them every six months. I usually end up changing them three or four times a year as I see a need. Besides the filter, you’ll also want to look around for any leaks in the hoses or air ducts. You’d be shocked at how often you’ll find loose ducts with small gaps and tiny air leaks around older duct work. You might also consider insulating your home’s air ducts which will not only help with heating, but also on cooling.
Keep Your AC Charged and Serviced
Even after all these checks on your own, you’re sometimes better off having a professional come in and look things over, especially if you suspect any problems. Some local utility companies actually offer affordable service plans you can buy that will include a free yearly check or two just to make sure everything is running as it should. A professional technician can also tell you if you the refrigerant should be recharged or if anything may need replacing sooner than you think. You might even want to consider having a full service on your AC unit every year or two. You’ll almost definitely make up the money in energy savings and peace of mind during those hot summer days.
I’ve also made sure to have ceiling fans installed in just about every room in the house this past year so that I can keep my thermostat set a little bit higher but still feel cool with the fans going. I make sure the ceiling fan direction is properly set and, yes, they really do make a big difference when they are running. It’s estimated that you can save 5% of your energy bill for each degree higher you set your thermostat in the summer months.
I hope this helps you save some money this season and helps you and your air conditioner unit last longer and run more efficiently all summer long!
[...] We’ve had a few days of warm weather here on the East Coast lately and my wife and I have been running the ceiling fans in most of our rooms to keep the rooms cool without having to turn on our central air conditioner quite yet. Even though its been relatively mild outside we have a few rooms that get a lot of sun and warm up rather quickly. [...]
[...] Our central air conditioner unit is over 15 years old and recently it hasn’t been working quite as reliably as we’d like. Even though I’ve been doing my best to care for my central air conditioner is appears that mine might on its way out. About once every couple of days now it simply “stops” coming on and I have to try a bunch of different things to get it working again. I was planning on getting a new central air conditioner in the next year or two anyway, but it looks like I may be doing it a little earlier than I had anticipated. [...]
Is it important to put a cover over the AC unit for the winter?
JM
Good question! Generally, your AC unit will last a little longer (in theory) if you cover it during the winter months. The cover prevents debris from collecting in the unit and it keeps out water from snow and rain which could freeze and really damage things. It also really helps to keep the coils clean, and the cleaner they are the more efficient your AC unit will be.
I got a new AC unit installed this summer and I don’t yet have a cover for mine. I might end up just buying a grill cover that’s on clearance and using that!
I have a geothermal unit that is 14 years old but still works fine with one exception. The problem I have is that the digital thermostat (Robert Shaw #9500) I had replaced years ago keep failing and I buy the exact model and replace it myself. They are pretty cheap ($15 on eBay) but keep failing after abut 6-9 months.
What happens is that the visible temperature gets “stuck” and it just keeps on pumping out cold air. Say I have it set at 78 deg., well it will just keep running even though the temp on an external thermometer says it’s 72 deg. I replace it and it works fine for a while.
Could my 24v. transformer in the unit be “burning” it up? I haven’t tried putting a volt meter on it because I’m afraid I’ll short something out. Any suggestions. Is the transformer easy for a DIY to replace?
LOOKING FOR ADVICE ON HOW OFTEN THE COMPRESSOR–AS I AM IN NEW ENGLAND, AND USE THE A/C BASICALLY DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS. I ALSO WAS ADVISE NOT TO COVER THE COMPRESSOR, WHEN THE UNIT IS NOT IN USE…IS THIS ERRONEOUS INFORMATION? THANKS!
I think the benefits of covering an AC unit far outweigh the risks, especially during the long winter months of New England. The more ice, water and debris you can keep out of your AC condenser, the better. The reason people say NOT to cover them is because of the chance of condensation (which is obviously moisture) collecting in there.
I bought an AC cover last year. My local stores didn’t carry anything affordable, so I’d recommend the online store thing if you’re not in a hurry. And, really, you can find almost any type of AC cover on Amazon.com
these days, so you’re sure to find one that fits. I bought my AC cover from them last year and it fit perfectly (snug, but not tight), kept a lot of junk out of my AC all winter long.
I would NOT cover my AC unit with a plastic bag or old grill cover or something that can’t breathe, because that would definitely invite condensation and moisture and all sorts of bugs and critters into your AC unit. However, if you used one of those slightly more professional covers you can see that while they’re plastic, they do have some breathing ability. For me (I live in New Jersey) keeping out the piles of leaves and freezing water from my AC unit is a much bigger threat than lots of moisture collecting under the cover.
I WAS TOLD THAT TO KEEP THE COILS FROM RUST AND GOOK, I SHOULD PUT BLEACH IN THE COILS AND THEN ANOTHER MACHANIC SAID TO PUT VINEGAR?
WHICH ONE IS BETTER???
THANKS JF
Jerry: I wouldn’t think you’d want to put anything on your coils. Not sure what sort of “gook” you’re getting on your coils and if you have rust problems then you might have some sort of moisture problem. I’ve never done anything to prevent rust or anything building up on my AC coils… and I’ve never had a problem.
Outside a/c condenser would not come on. Decided to perform all six trouble shooting steps along with using water hose to clean outside coils. Turned on unit and it worked. Don’t know what the problem was but decided to perform these test once a year. Thanks!!!!! Saved ???? dollars.
My neighbor’s central air unit is broken because, the repair guy said, her dogs urinate on it and the urine’s acid ate through something and broke it. Is that even possible?
I’ve been told the coils in my central airconditioner are dirty and need to be cleaned. The unit is only 3 years old. could this be true and why would this happen.
Why does AC repair say turn off your central AC unit at the breaker when hosing down the unit but yet its okay to leave it on when its pouring raining even a hurricane flood..