The summer season has arrived, and so do the grueling heat. We are currently in the height of summer where the sun is beating down, and mercury has soared into the red. We can’t even think to compromise or deal with any problem that can turn into an expensive breakdown of our air conditioner or result in unbearable indoor temperature.

To have uninterrupted and best cooling for your home keep these hacks in mind that increase the efficiency and extend the life span of a heating and cooling system.

AC maintenance and home cooling Tips:

A well-maintained AC unit works way more effectively to cool the place and cost you less money to run. You can perform the following DIY maintenance on AC to avoid any unpleasant experience or emergency breakdown.

Optimize the thermostat setting:

Homeowners should frequently check the thermostat to make sure it is working fine. Increase the temperature for times in a day when there is no one in the home. As it can reduce the energy bill and eventually your hard-earned money.

Tip: Having a mechanical or old thermostat? Consider upgrading to a smart or programmable model.

Clean and Replace Air filters:

The debris in the air filter can reduce the airflow, making AC to work harder than usual. Therefore, cleaning or replacing air filter is regarded as the essential Ac maintenance chores.

In summers, it is advised to clean air filters every month or replace it in case you do not have the reusable filters.

Inspecting wiring and components:

Before turning on an air conditioner, ALWAYS make sure to disconnect the power to the unit. In the next step, ensure the access panels are removed and see if there are any signs of overheating.
The electrical connection needs to be strong and firm that you can check by test meter.

Clean the coils:

Coils should be timely cleaned as dust keeps on accumulating and interfere with the functional operation of the coils.
Clean coils reduce the bill while dirty coils consume more than 37% energy. 

In the midst of hot summer, who wants his Air Conditioning system to fail? No sane person ever wishes this for his home but guess what, not enough people take the prerequisites to avoid sudden appliance breakdowns. And usually, no HVAC appliance fails without showing some prior signs. Appliances do show some signs when they are in need of maintenance or repairs. When these signs are neglected, the result comes in the form of breakdown. This blog is to help you find out in time when your Air Conditioner needs help. There are a few easy to notice signs.

- Dropping efficiency

You can tell when you are uncomfortable even when the Air Conditioner is on. You can compare your current level of comfort from that of the last year and can easily decide that the AC is not as efficient as it used to be. This kind of significant change in efficiency in one year is an indication that there is something wrong with the system that needs to be fixed. If you did perform proper maintenance & cleaning before starting the unit, are following the same temperature schedules and the weather is not unusually hot, then there's something that requires an HVAC tech's help. So as soon as you suspect a noticeable drop in the unit's efficiency, call a professional as early as possible.

- A sudden rise in energy bills

Energy bills are always loathsome, aren't they? But they become equally shocking sometimes. That happens when there's a sudden rise in them. Your usage remains the same but the graph of monthly energy bills changes. Although Air Conditioners as they get older do start to consume more energy, this does not happen over the course of a month or two. So if your bills have suddenly started to become coarse towards you, there's an indication of something annoying the system. It could be dirty filters, leaking ductwork, problematic compressor or something else. Take also this sign seriously.

- Frequent Short Cycling

One of the indications of the Air Conditioner going through something serious is when it short cycles frequently. Short cycling is when the AC turns off and on. The possible causes of short cycling are dirty filter or compressor fan, frozen evaporator coils or electrical wiring issues. So as your Air Conditioner starts to short cycle frequently, consider calling a professional to inspect what's wrong.

They say prevention is better than cure. Every year, many homeowners have to face serious accidents or costly repairs and the reason behind is not performing maintenance or ignoring the repair signs that the system shows. We as HVAC professionals suggest homeowners to learn at least the basics of their HVAC appliances and especially about the signs of appliance sickness so that preventive measures can be taken in time.

If your Air Conditioner shows all or one of the above-mentioned signs then don't postpone calling out a professional for help.

Some hundred dollars spent on in time repairs are better than the thousands of dollars that you'll have to spend otherwise on worsen damages or entire unit replacement. Be wise towards your HVAC appliance.