How to Get Your AC Ready for the Heat
How to Prepare Your Home for the Hot Summer Months Ahead
Some people actually prefer the cold weather and even start to worry when they know the heat is coming back around. Although many love the summer sun, not everyone feels this way. The biggest way that people beat the heat is by swimming, taking showers, running their AC, and staying indoors.
Sometimes, the heat index is so high outside that going outdoors is not possible, especially for those who are sensitive to the heat. If you know that you’ll be spending a lot of time indoors this summer, then it’s time to spruce up your AC unit by getting it maintained, which is something you need to do on a yearly basis anyways.
Until the time comes, you may not know exactly how hot the summer will be in your area, especially since some will see the heat go over 100° during the summer time. Even those that don’t live in the desert can experience triple digit temperatures, which means their AC unit needs to be prepared for the job, especially if it’s a high-efficiency air conditioner.
Your HVAC Unit Needs to Work Properly
You need to have your AC unit working correctly at all times, even if it’s not currently being used. When was the last time you used your AC unit? If it’s been several months since you’ve turned it on at all, then it’s time for maintenance, especially since you know you’ll be using it a lot throughout the summer. Even though the summer season may only last for three months, the heat index may be high before summer as well as after summer is gone, so you’ll need your AC unit working properly beforehand.
It’s possible that you may have to use your AC for up to six months, depending on the area you live in and how hot it gets, so you have to make sure it works correctly. The best way to keep your AC unit working is by always getting maintenance on it, and if you haven’t done maintenance in years, then don’t turn it on again until you get a specialist to look at the unit. You can permanently break your AC unit if you continue using it without maintenance, and you may also be polluting the air in your home if you’ve never changed the filter.
What to do When the AC Isn’t Working
You notice one day that it’s too hot outside, and you didn’t expect it to be, so you simply turn on your AC unit, even though you haven’t turned it on for a long time. The unit doesn’t turn on, or it may turn on, and warm air comes out, the thermostat might be beeping, or there may be a whole host of problems that you are finding with your air-conditioning unit. When you find that your air-conditioning isn’t working as it should, then here are a few suggestions:
- Do some troubleshooting
- Turn off the central air
- Make sure the thermostat isn’t malfunctioning
- Call a specialist
Troubleshooting– The first thing anyone will do is some troubleshooting, especially since they want to be able to tell the specialist that comes out exactly what’s wrong with the unit if they can figure it out on their own. Troubleshooting means checking all the different parts that make the AC unit work to determine what might be the problem. It’s possible that the AC unit is plugged out, and that may be the single reason why it’s not working.
The thermostat may have one problem or another, especially if it’s beeping, and this can easily be determined by looking at it. It’s even possible that there is a problem with the ductwork, especially if you’re getting warm air when the AC unit is turned on. Doing some quick troubleshooting can help to give you an idea of what’s wrong, but if you can’t figure out why the AC unit isn’t working properly, then just call a specialist.
Turn off the Air– When the air-conditioning unit isn’t working right, it’s best to turn it off so you won’t cause additional problems. Keep the unit off until a specialist can come out to look at it, and the specialist can turn it on as necessary to test out the unit to find the problem.
The Thermostat– One of the first things you are likely to check is the thermostat, especially if the central air is on but not doing what it’s supposed to. It’s possible that the thermostat itself is malfunctioning, and if you hear a noise coming from the thermostat, there’s flashing lights, the display is no longer lit, or a battery sign is showing, then you’ll know that the thermostat has a problem.
It’s always best to determine exactly what may be the problem with the thermostat, so you can give the information to the specialist, but if you don’t understand the signs on your thermostat, then just allow the specialist to look it over.
Local Engineer– You can give a call to an HVAC specialist who can fix your AC unit for you, and they should be able to troubleshoot the problem, especially since they’ll be able to find problems you didn’t know existed with your unit. Once a specialist is called, then you want to make sure to give them all the information possible, especially if the unit is working but blowing warm air, or there is some malfunction with the thermostat.
Call for an Engineer Right Away
In cases of a malfunctioning thermostat, AC unit, or even if you just need maintenance on your system, always call a specialist. You may think that you can work on your own AC unit, but it’s likely to take you a lot longer than a specialist, and you may make mistakes that may put your central air-conditioning unit out for good. You can even talk to the specialist about installing a high-efficiency air conditioner, especially if you faced higher energy bills in the past.
Let your FD Plumbing and Heating specialist in London, UK take care of your needs by calling 020 7060 4770.
