Common Air Conditioning Mistakes Which Should be Avoided

Rising mercury has a direct impact on air conditioner usage. The more the air conditioning unit is used, greater remain chances of the system developing snags. Awareness about common air conditioning problems certainly helps ensure optimal energy consumption and comfortable cooling. Listed below are few such common air conditioning mistakes that can easily be avoided:

1.      Skipping maintenance work

A well-maintained air conditioner always works efficiently which becomes evident from the pleasantly cool air that it spreads! Regular maintenance ensures longer life span of the air conditioner. Some work can be done at home like checking duct lines for leakage, cleaning filters and evaporator coil, etc. Never skip or ignore maintenance work. Help is always available in the form of an HVAC technician who can assist you with regular maintenance.

2.      Size misfits

Most people are of the notion that a bigger air conditioner cools better and faster. Even though it is true to an extent, an oversized air conditioner doesn’t generate uniform temperature or reduce humidity. This defeats the whole purpose of using the cooling unit in warm climates. The best option is to refer to Consumer Reports worksheet to help find the right sized air conditioner. An HVAC technician can be consulted too.

3.      Unreasonable thermostat settings

If a thermostat is set too low, then more energy is wasted. Then if it is set too high, then the air conditioner would fail to even turn on or go bust in some cases. To avoid these problems, reasonable thermostat settings are to be adopted. A programmable thermostat best serves this purpose. Another major area of concern is accidental heating up of the thermostat. This usually happens when other electrical appliances like lamps, televisions, refrigerators, etc. are placed close to the air conditioning system. The heat generated by these electronic gadgets causes the thermostat to malfunction inadvertently.

4.      Closure of unused vents and openings

Though it may seem like a good idea to prevent escaping of conditioned air outside, the efficiency of a central air conditioning system might get affected in the longer run. An HVAC expert can be consulted in this regard, especially for the summer months. Another strict no-no would be to close off any room that has a thermostat installed.

5.      Wrong placement of the cooling unit

Most people prefer relatively unused spots to install their air conditioners in homes. However, such placement only puts excess pressure on the unit. Some people choose to place the air conditioning unit behinds shrubs or plants. This hinders ventilation and leads to clogged air filters. Such minor issues ultimately result in decreased efficiency of the air conditioner. An HVAC expert usually suggests the ideal place for cooling system installation, as the east or north side of the house. This is to ensure that the air conditioner is installed in a shady spot and away from direct sunlight.

These above discussed air conditioning mistakes might sound quite simple but most households tend to forget the basic rules while installing/maintaining the unit. Rather than allowing these minor cooling mistakes take a major turn, you should get in touch with a trustworthy HVAC company for unbiased guidance and timely action.

Three Minor Problems Which Can Seriously Affect the Cooling Unit

There are quite a number of common air conditioning problems that tend to affect overall performance of the cooling unit. These minor issues lead to more drastic problems such as the unit going off completely and needing an overhaul. There can be other problems like wasted energy, rising monthly power bills, non-performance or under performance of the air conditioning unit. All these might lead to the air conditioner replacement. Therefore, it is important that these minor problems are checked regularly and taken care of immediately, to ensure efficient performance of the cooling unit.

The three common and minor problems which can severely affect your cooling unit’s performance are:

1.      Uneven and insufficient cooling

This is one of the most common problems which every air conditioner user might have experienced now and then. It may happen that the air conditioning unit fails to cool your home sufficiently or evenly. This problem is caused due to inaccurate thermostat settings. Blame it on a dead battery too. The lower a thermostat is set, higher is the energy consumed by the central air. Therefore, thermostat settings should be adjusted reasonably and this objective can be best achieved using a programmable thermostat.

Duct lines that are cracked, disconnected or not installed properly may lead to conditioned air leaking out which eventually result in uneven cooling. The condenser unit present in the exterior part of the air conditioner might get clogged with leaves and other debris leading to underperformance of the cooling system.

2.      Short Cycling

The term “Short Cycling” refers to successive switching on and off sequences of the air conditioning system. This problem occurs either from dirty and iced coils or a clogged air filter.

Dirty or iced coils result in shutting down of the cooling unit as their ability to transfer heat gets restricted with accumulation of dirt or ice. A clogged air filter results in excessive buildup of dirt and debris inside coils and hence requires immediate cleaning. A high efficiency air filter surely helps avoid the problem of short cycling altogether.

3.      Failure of the cooling unit to turn or its abrupt shut down

A tripped circuit breaker is to be blamed if the air conditioner is not switching on properly or shutting down abruptly. The circuit just needs to be reset when this issue crops up. In some cases, the cooling unit fails to turn on if the thermostat is set too high. To avoid this issue, the thermostat should be adjusted 5 degrees lower than the initial point before restarting. Reasonable thermostat settings are to be adopted thereafter.

Apart from these aforementioned issues, the motor in air handler system may burnout due to clogged air filters. This means excessive energy is needed to push cool air through duct lines, thereby leading to failure of the cooling unit and its abrupt shutting down. Thus it is even more significant to clean the air filter regularly.

Regular maintenance of a cooling unit is absolutely vital for its efficient performance. Whenever you notice any of these minor cooling problems raising their heads, do immediately get in touch with an HVAC expert for unbiased guidance and timely action.