3 Things To Check Or Do While Waiting For Your Air Conditioning Services Appointment

Do you have an air conditioner that is no longer working as well as it should? Do you suspect that you may have to purchase a new air conditioner in order for your home to be comfortable once again? While it is certainly possible that you may be in need of a new air conditioning unit, there may also be a good chance that only a few relatively minor repairs are going to be needed. While you're waiting for the appointment with your air conditioning company, there are a few things that you might want to try.

Replace the filter: A dirty filter makes it more difficult for your air conditioner to work, potentially even overheating as it tries to draw air through itself and back out into your home. The more that this happens, the more likely it is that your air conditioning services company will have to replace the unit for you. However, if you replace your filter now, you may be able to limit any damage. Although you may have filters that say that they last for something like "up to 3 months" at a time, the key is the phrase "up to." Things like multiple pets, several smokers, or even a heavy pollen count outside can dramatically shorten the viable life of your filter.

Check for duct leaks: Duct leaks can result in chilled air being forced into your attic instead of into your actual home, making your air conditioner less efficient and more expensive to run. Although this is something that is best confirmed by your air conditioning services company, you can still be proactive and check for leaks, if you feel like being proactive and going up into your attic where the duct work is. Check your attic insulation for signs of strong air currents, such as streaks of dust emanating from the vicinity of the ductwork. You can also affix a lightweight thread or strip of crepe paper to a stick, pen, or pencil for a primitive air current detector. While the air conditioner is running, slowly move your detector along the ducts, watching to see if the thread or paper moves unexpectedly, indicating a possible duct leak.  

Clean your air conditioner: If you have a ground unit, you should check your air conditioner on a regular basis and remove any large bits of debris that may be sticking to the sides or top. Having more than a few leaves that refuse to budge naturally, for instance, could eventually impede the function sufficiently that you eventually have to call your air conditioning services company to sort it out. If it's been a while since the last time it rained, you may also want to spray the unit lightly with a hose in order to remove bits of dust or small insects that may have collected on the radiator part of the unit.

For more information, reach out to companies such as Always Ready Repair.