DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — When temperatures climb into the 90s, your air conditioning unit is working its hardest. HVAC experts say a few maintenance steps can help keep your home cool and even save you from an expensive repair.
"The only time that you're going to catch that air conditioner may shut off is at night. Once the sun goes down, we're using the cooler night air to help cool down the house."
While a constantly running unit may worry some homeowners, Air King's Jeff Zerfowsky says it's completely normal. The real problems start when the unit isn't cleaned and maintained regularly.
"Whenever it's not keeping up, it's been due to a lack of maintenance. Just not washing the condenser coils, not changing the filter, things of that nature," Zerfowsky said.
Another common misconception is how quickly a thermostat can cool down your home. Zerfowsky encourages homeowners to be patient.
"Homeowners think their thermostat is an accelerator. They think they can turn it down to 70 degrees, and it's going to get down to 70 degrees like that. If you've got that thermostat set at 74 and it's 76 and it never gets down to 74, then guess what? It's doing everything that it can to maintain."
People often think they should hose down their air conditioning unit to cool it off, but Air King warns that if water gets into the wrong components, it could cause extensive damage. You should only wash the condenser coils.
Air King recommends setting your thermostat to one consistent temperature, changing your air filter regularly, and washing the condenser coils. Those three tips can help you avoid a costly repair bill.
