An AC unit can be one of the most important parts of your home, especially in a hotter climate or season. Having a functioning A/C unit available can be more than just a comfort measure – it can actively protect you from heatstroke or other avoidable issues in day-to-day life.
However, residential A/C only works if it is well-maintained. Here are a few ways to make sure that your AC unit is still functioning in the long term.
Clean It
Cleaning your AC unit is the easiest way to keep it running, and many people seem to forget that. While outdoor units need to be cleaned more often, you should still make sure that you are maintaining both properly, even if that means blasting debris out of the fan with a small hose.
A dirty unit is likely to blow dust and other debris into a space, which can trigger allergies and make the air more uncomfortable to breathe. In extreme cases, it might even be blowing in bad smells from dead animals in the fan area or spreading small insect eggs around a room.
Check the Wiring
While a lot of residential AC repair measures are very obvious, a lot of people forget about the wiring. Taking an occasional look at the internal wiring behind the unit’s access panel can sometimes be a very important step since it gives you an instant overview of the device’s internal state.
If you notice any obvious problems, like melted components or exposed wires, then you should call a specialist immediately. Less immediate problems, like loose wires, should still be handled by an expert – you do not want to harm yourself trying to reconnect a life wire.
In cases like this, get a local expert to save time. For example, if you live in Tarzana, then getting AC repair in Tarzana, CA, is preferable because damaged wires have a high chance of causing fires.
Test the Temperature
It is a good idea to try and keep a secondary way to measure temperature on-hand at all times. If you are noticing that the thermostat seems wrong or that the AC unit is not quite getting as hot/cold as it normally would be, then there might be issues with the system itself.
Double-checking the temperature levels after turning your AC unit on can help you spot potential problems, such as situations where it can’t actually provide the amount of cooling that it is claiming to offer. If your system is getting less effective, then it might need more refrigerant or even a complete check-over by a specialist.
Inspect the Fan
The fan is a necessary part of most AC units and is the main component that allows the system to function properly. Be sure to turn the AC unit off from time to time and examine the blades of the fan, replacing them if you notice any major problems.
While a small crack might not seem that important in the grand scheme of things, it can quickly begin to get worse over time and might eventually come loose. At best, it will reduce the system’s cooling output, using up excess energy for no real reason and costing you even more money.
