Dog Days of Summer and Your Air Conditioner
At this point of the summer, your air conditioner has been working almost non-stop to keep your home comfortable. Utility bills have been sky high as the weather has delivered hot and humid conditions for the last few months. There are several things that can be done that can help give your air conditioner some relief as well as your utility bills:
1. Schedule a late season air conditioner tune-up. An AC tune-up cleans and refreshes your cooling system. This in turn can lead to your air conditioning running more efficiently, which can bring those cooling bills back down. Tune-ups also help extend the life of your air conditioner and can prevent expensive breakdowns. Also, while the air conditioner tune-up is being performed, you can also have your furnace tuned up at the same time to get ready for fall.
2. Replace your filters. A dirty filter can restrict air flow and make your air conditioner work harder, which means you use more electricity to cool your home. Regular filter replacement is critical to helping your furnace and air conditioner last longer and work better.
3. Replace your air conditioner. If your air conditioner is over 10 years old, it may be better to just replace your air conditioner. New efficiency standards mean that just replacing your air conditioner can cut at least 30% off your cooling bills. Higher efficiency models can even save you more while also providing features that can actually make you more comfortable at the same time.