Everyone relies on the air conditioning unit in their homes to keep them cool in the summer. Whenever it quits working, you suffer. There are some things that can be done to protect your air conditioning unit, and a few things that you should keep on hand to be able to quickly get it going again if it quits. Here, you'll learn what to have on hand and what you need to do to protect the unit.
Watch the Weather
If there are strong storms forecasted for your area, watch the weather closely. As the storms approach, turn off the air conditioning unit. Many people scurry to unplug the computers, televisions, and other electronics, but fail to turn off their air conditioning unit.
If the system is left on during a power surge, the unit can become extremely damaged. One flicker of power loss and your unit could be fried. Deal with the heat until the worst has passed or you could find yourself dealing with the heat a lot longer and paying to have the repairs made.
Pay Attention to Cycles
Listen to your air conditioning unit. Don't wait for the house to warm up to realize that it isn't kicking on and off like it should.
If the unit isn't coming on, or seems to be under-powered, go to your breaker panel and flip the breaker powering the air conditioning unit. Even if the breaker doesn't appear to be tripped, flip it off, wait a second, and flip it back on. Listen to see if that has improved how well the unit is running.
Filters
Always keep extra furnace filters around the house. You may not think too much about the furnace air filter during the summer, but you should. The air is pulled from the central air unit by the force of the furnace. The furnace then blows the air through the house. If the filter is dirty, it will decrease efficiency.
Capacitors
One of the most common issues with home central air conditioning units is capacitor failure. Take the time to learn how to replace the capacitor in your unit and always keep an extra capacitor on hand and you'll be able to fix the problem that causes many air conditioning failures.
Talk with your local AC repair professional to learn more about protecting and maintaining your home's central air conditioning unit now and for years to come.
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