A quality HVAC system is a smart investment that improves energy savings, home health, and comfort. New HVAC systems last between 10-20 years with proper care.
A few simple tips can help you extend your AC’s lifespan. From regular cleaning and temperature control to duct cleaning and insulating your home, these strategies will keep your HVAC working efficiently.
1. Change Your Filters Regularly
An air conditioner is an indispensable feature of northwest Florida homes, protecting you from the area’s sky-high temperatures and humidity. The equipment is a big investment, and you want it to last. With some basic maintenance, you can keep your HVAC system running smoothly for years to come.
The first thing you should do is make sure your AC filters are changed regularly. Clogged filters force the AC to work harder, increasing wear and tear. Additionally, a clogged filter can send dust, pollen, and pet hair throughout the home, worsening allergies and asthma.
You should aim for a change every three months. However, you may need to change your filter more often if you have children, pets, or frequent guests.
You should also schedule regular tune-ups with a professional. Skipping annual maintenance can be disastrous for your unit, putting you at risk of expensive repair costs down the line. A professional can clean your unit, replace filters, and perform other essential tasks that help extend the lifespan of your air conditioner.
2. Clean the Ducts
Keeping your air ducts clean is one of the most important things you can do to extend the lifespan of your AC unit. Dirty ducts force the system to work harder, and this can lead to premature wear and tear. In addition, dirty ducts can trap allergens, dust, and other pollutants, which then recirculate throughout the home.
When the ducts are clean, however, the pollutants are prevented from reaching your living spaces, creating healthier indoor air. This can benefit the health of your family, especially if you have someone with allergies or other respiratory problems.
In addition, cleaning the ducts can improve the energy efficiency of your home. This will save you money on your energy bills. In turn, it will also help you extend the lifespan of your AC unit by reducing its workload. A unit that isn’t working as hard will last longer, and this can help you avoid expensive repairs or replacements in the future.
For a hassle-free solution to maintaining clean and efficient air ducts, consider professional air conditioner cleaning services throughout Brisbane. These services specialize in thorough duct cleaning, ensuring your AC system operates at its peak performance, promoting healthier indoor air quality and potentially saving you money on both energy bills and future repairs.
3. Turn Off Your AC When You’re Not Home
An air conditioner is a major investment, and it should be protected from unnecessary wear-and-tear. Using it nonstop forces your system to work harder and consume more energy. This causes premature damage to your AC, leading to costly replacement expenses. However, you can extend your AC’s lifespan with a few preventive measures.
One of the easiest ways to protect your AC is to turn it off when you are not home. This will help to reduce your electricity bills significantly, and it will also save on maintenance costs. However, some people worry about leaving their homes at a high temperature.
The best solution is to use a programmable thermostat. It will allow you to set your home’s temperature to about 78 degrees when you are away, which is an optimal cooling level. It will then lower the temperature to your desired level just before you return. This helps to save energy while ensuring that your home will be cool and comfortable when you return. It is also safer for plants and pets, since it will not be uncomfortably hot.
4. Add a Ceiling Fan
Your air conditioner is a major investment in your home, and you want it to last as long as possible. Unfortunately, as your AC ages, it becomes less and less efficient. As a result, it is at greater risk of breaking down and costing you money in repairs. But, with a little preventative maintenance and regular air conditioning service, you can extend the lifespan of your AC.
One of the best ways to do this is by using a ceiling fan in conjunction with your air conditioner. By circulating cool air throughout your home, a ceiling fan can help alleviate the strain on your air conditioner and make it last longer.
When using your ceiling fan during the summer, make sure that it is spinning counterclockwise to create a downdraft of cool air. You can also use your ceiling fan during the winter by changing its direction to clockwise to pull cold air from the floor and push it toward the ceiling. This can also reduce your energy costs. As a bonus, your fans can add style to your home, with many options available in a variety of colors and styles.
5. Inspect the Unit Regularly
An air conditioner’s lifespan is often advertised as 10-15 years, but the lifespan can decrease rapidly without proper maintenance. In fact, if left unchecked, even relatively minor issues can morph into larger ones that increase utility bills and impact comfort levels.
Regular inspections allow technicians to carefully assess your system and identify any potential issues. They can then promptly fix those issues, which prevents them from escalating and causing expensive breakdowns.
In addition, a professional will also ensure that your unit is properly sized for the space it needs to cool. Oversized or undersized air conditioners have to work harder to cool the same spaces, and they suffer from more wear and tear.
Inspecting the unit regularly can also help you keep it clean and free of debris. For example, it is important to regularly check and clean the filter and outdoor unit. Additionally, it is important to make sure the thermostat is set to a reasonable temperature. Finally, installing a smart thermostat can optimize energy usage and reduce unnecessary strain on your air conditioner.
6. Install Insulation
A working air conditioner is a luxury for homeowners in northwest Florida, providing protection from high temperatures and humidity. Many of these systems can last for decades if they are properly cared for and have their repairs completed promptly by experienced professionals.
Insulation helps extend the lifespan of an air conditioning system by reducing the amount of time it takes to cool the house. It also reduces utility bills, especially if the house is not well-insulated and has an older HVAC unit.
Additionally, insulation improves indoor air quality (IAQ) by preventing outside pollutants from entering the house and contaminating the air inside. It also reduces greenhouse gas emissions, as less fossil fuel is burned to produce the energy used to run the air conditioner. It is a good idea to insulate any areas that are not conditioned, including vented crawl spaces and unheated garages. Depending on where the home is located, there may be tax incentives for installing insulation. In addition to the financial benefits, adding insulation can increase the value of a home and help it sell faster.
7. Check the Electrical Connections
An air conditioner is a huge investment, one that protects your home against sky-high temperatures and humidity. It is often touted as having a lifespan of 10-15 years, but without proper care and maintenance, this number can decrease dramatically. This is why it’s important to follow some basic strategies for extending your AC’s lifespan, such as regular filter changes, cleaning the outdoor unit, and scheduling yearly inspections.
It is also a good idea to install a smart thermostat that can help optimize your system’s use. It can allow you to set times at which the unit will run, reducing unnecessary strain on the unit and helping you save money. Finally, it’s a good idea to keep your computer and televisions turned off during peak times so that they do not generate their own heat, forcing the AC to work harder to cool your home. These simple tricks can make all the difference in keeping your air conditioning system running for a long time and keeping you and your family comfortable year-round.
8. Install a Humidifier
An air conditioning system is a considerable investment. Most homeowners want to see their cooling systems last as long as possible. This is because a quality air conditioner provides a variety of benefits, such as improving indoor comfort and promoting a healthy home environment.
A properly cared-for AC system also helps keep energy bills low and avoids costly repairs. Implementing simple strategies like regular maintenance, changing the filters regularly, installing smart thermostats, and using ceiling fans can all extend your cooling system’s lifespan.
Humidifiers can also protect your AC by ensuring that the condenser coils remain free of dust, dirt, and debris. Dirty condenser coils increase the workload on the unit, shortening its lifespan. Additionally, a whole-house humidifier helps save on heating bills by increasing the amount of moisture in the air. This allows your thermostat to be set lower, saving on energy usage. Excessively dry air can shrink wood flooring and furnishings, causing cracking and rot. It can also cause paper products to become brittle and chip off paint.
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