What You Shouldn't Do to Your Des Moines Air Conditioner

August 13, 2015

Knowing what you shouldn't do to your air conditioner may help prolong its life and lower your cooling bills. All too often, the experts tell you what to do, but without an explanation of why it benefits a cooling system, regardless of age or brand.

Don't Forget the Air Filter Keeping an eye on the condition of the air filter for the blower compartment or air handler is the most important thing you can do to keep your system running at its full potential. A dirty filter slows the airflow through the blower compartment, forcing the A/C to work harder to cool your home, increasing energy consumption. The airflow may even slow enough to freeze the evaporator coil inside the air handler, which can seriously harm the compressor in the outdoor condenser or create indoor flooding as the coil thaws. Some homeowners select a date to check the air filter each month and change it when it's dirty

Don't Skip Professional Maintenance Professional service keeps your system in top running condition. When an HVAC pro tunes up a system, he or she completely cleans it, inspects all the parts, and makes adjustments to improve its performance. The process includes motor lubrication, inspection and cleaning of all the electrical components, and tightening the mechanical parts.

Don't Constantly Change the Temperature As daytime temperatures climb, so will the temperature inside your home. The A/C will have to work harder to keep up with the heat gain. It's much better to close the window coverings and reschedule heat-producing activities to cooler times than adjust the thermostat to keep you cooler. Not only will energy bills decline, but you'll also help extend the life of the A/C by reducing its workload. A programmable thermostat makes it much easier to maintain temperatures at an even level 24/7.

To learn more about what you shouldn't do to your air conditioner, contact Lozier Heating & Cooling. We've provided outstanding HVAC services for Des Moines area homeowners since 1906. Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Des Moines, Iowa area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Credit/Copyright Attribution: "GSPhotography/Shutterstock"