While air conditioners have been around for a long time, studies show that many homeowners know very little about them. To help you out, here are things you should know about the appliances as given by air conditioners companies:
Buy the right air conditioner
The type of air conditioner you install in your home has a great impact on the quality of air in the house. Before you head to the stores, you should determine the right size of appliance that you should buy. You should avoid buying an air conditioner that is too large as you will end up spending a lot of money maintaining it.
You also should avoid a unit that is too small as it won’t cool the house properly. Due to its size, a small unit tends to work too hard thus spiking your power bills.
In addition to the size, you also should consider the brand of air conditioner you are looking to buy. As rule of thumb, buy a reputable brand.
The energy star rating is another important factor you should pay attention to. The higher the rating, the better. While an appliance with a high rating will be expensive, it will be worth having it in the long run.
Properly install the unit
After buying the air conditioner, you should properly install it. When undertaking the installation, pay close attention to the area you install it. You should install it in a shaded area, away from a lot of direct sunlight.
The area should also be away from trees, shrubs, and other obstructions. You should note that if you install the unit in an obstructed area, it tends to work harder than it should, which increases the monthly power bills.
You should also ensure that the unit is held in place properly in such a way that it can’t come off easily. You can do this by hiring an experienced professional to undertake the installation.
Take good care of the appliance
Buying the right unit and properly installing it isn’t enough—you need to take good care of it. There are many ways of doing it. The obvious one is to clean it regularly. Dirt and grime tend to build up in the various parts of the appliance which makes it work harder to keep the house cool.
At least once a year, clean the appliance and get rid of all the dirt and grime that might have accumulated. When cleaning the condenser coils, take care that you don’t damage them. For you to prevent them from getting damaged, consider hiring an expert to help you with the cleaning.
While you should clean the appliance once a year, you should clean the air conditioner once a month. The cool thing is that you don’t have to hire an HVAC technician to help you with the cleaning—you can do it by yourself.
If the filters are too dirty or damaged, you have no way out other than to replace them. When replacing them, go for high-quality pieces that will last for a long time.
Repair the air conditioner when necessary
Even with the best care, it’s common for the air conditioner to develop problems. For example, it might fail to cool the house as quickly or properly as it should. It also can start making weird noises.
When the unit develops small problems, many homeowners ignore them, which is catastrophic. A malfunctioning air conditioner is not only risky to have, it also tends to consume a lot of energy which sees you spending a lot of money keeping your house cool.
When you notice a faulty part, regardless of how minor it is, you should fix it as soon as possible. Is the problem minor and you can fix it on your own? Go ahead and fix it. On the other hand, if its major and you don’t have the skills, hire the local air conditioner repair Vienna professionals to help you out.
You should note that the contractors you hire are as good as the service you receive; therefore, you should work with contractors that are highly experienced. You also should ensure that the contractors are certified to work in your local area.
