Summer-ready AC

The best time to schedule a check up for your air conditioning is in Spring. This ensures that your unit will be ready to go for the heat of summer.

But, what needs to be checked? And how can I be sure that everything that needs to be done actually gets done?

This information is provided by Energy Star and can be found at www.energystar.gov or also in their informational pamphlet "A Guide to Energy-Efficient Heating & Cooling" which is available on their website, but also on www.sinclairair.com under the Resources section.

The most important thing to know about prepping your air system for summer, is that there are things the homeowner should do, and other things only a contractor/technician should do.

Cooling specific homeowner responsibilities:

• Ensure that all furniture/drapes etc. are off of registers or vents and there is clear air flow.
• CHANGE your filter or clean it regularly. This means at most every 3 months! This is a very simple fix that will save you tons of time and energy and breathing issues. The better condition a filter is kept in, the better condition of your air flow, and overall system.
• Clean indoor coils - NOW, disclaimer: this can be difficult, I have explained how to do it before on the blog (so you can look that up should you really want to do so) but, this is a careful situation and should not be done if one is unsure of what they are doing because they might cause damage. That being said, occasionally dirt can build up on these coils and reduces the system's ability to cool the home and in some cases can even cause the system to run longer than necessary - wasting energy.

Contractor maintenance checklist:

• The contractor should check the level of refrigerant and fill according to manufacturer's suggestions. Too much or too little refrigerant can cause damage to the compressor and increase costs.
• The contractor should inspect the blower components, insuring that they are clean and airflow is properly adjusted.
• The technician may also check the thermostat settings to ensure that the cooling system is turning off and on at the appropriate temperatures. Often times, the tech will test the temperature your system is running before leaving.
• Occasionally, especially if your system is older, moving parts may need lubrication. If the lubrication wears out on these moving parts, it can cause friction, which makes the unit as a whole work harder.
• You should NEVER try this one at home: The contractor should check electrical connections and make sure that the voltage load and currents are working correctly. If there is a problem with the electrical hook-up, the life span of the system can be dramatically reduced, as well as cost the homeowner higher electricity bills.

Just like your car gets regular oil changes, it is important to make sure your heating and air conditioning systems get regular check-ups. This helps to avoid an expensive (and perhaps HOT) breakdown, down the road. It's always better to be prepared.

Are Your Ducts Dirty?

As we get more and more concerned about air quality and air-born allergens, we also are more concerned about places where those things could possibly build up. One of the common places to "blame" in recent news and television ads is your ductwork.

HOWEVER,

Here are some things you should know before jumping on the bandwagon and getting your expensive duct work cleaned by an even more expensive specialist company... Source: http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/airduct.html The Environmental Protection Agency off their website. Last Access 2/2/09. So, according to the EPA - duct cleaning isn't proven to actually help anything. In a nutshell: Dust particles may build up in your ducts over LOOOOOONG periods of time, but get stuck on the vents/grills and so aren't actually escaping into the air of your home. On the other hand, they DO recommend getting your ducts cleaned if they have slime visibly seeping out of them, or if the insulation near them gets water damaged (both really gross situations I imagine...). They provide a whole consumer checklist and the do's and don'ts of ductcleaning that every homeowner should check out before getting their ductwork cleaned!

DIY Air Conditioner Maintenance

Source: http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-maintain-an-air-conditioner.htm The first couple of paragraphs explain the different parts of an air conditioner and where they are located. It is essential that the homeowner understands these things before trying to make any changes to their unit. Also, many air conditioning companies will clean your unit - or at least recommend someone professional who can. Also, it is important to note that all suggestions should be followed at the homeowners own risk and following manufactures instructions (that come in the owner's manual of the unit). Next according to howstuffworks.com they explain how to clean your evaporator. They suggest doing this about every year and checking the condensation pan in especially humid weather. The evaporator is located in the furnace or air-handler, this is also called the 'coil.'This should be cleaned very carefully, without bending or in any other way moving the pipes. The outside condenser should be cleared of any grass or leaves that may have decided to grow near it (this may prevent air flow). It is also important to check to see that the unit is still level by using (guess what?) a level. I wouldn't recommend doing any more of this yourself...DO NOT HOSE THE CONDENSER DOWN! bad, very bad things will happen. Sometimes (and I know this is difficult to tell some handy homeowners (my father included)) it is simply better (and cheaper) to have a professional do the 'dirty' work for you.