Jonesboro is a lovely city, but all who live here know that its summers are scorching hot; not only hot but humid. An air conditioner, whether it’s central, a window unit or ductless, is going to have to work hard. However, there are tips you can use to keep your HVAC from working too hard. They include:
- Cleaning filters
- Utilizing programmable thermostat
- Using fans
- Covering windows
Change or Clean the Filters
This can’t be stressed enough. Changing disposable filters is one the easiest jobs to do to make sure your HVAC bears up during our summers. Cleaning a permanent filter is only slightly more work. These filters need to be taken outside and hosed down. Whether they’re replaced or cleaned, filters need to be seen to at least once every two months and maybe even once a month if you have smokers or pets in your home. Clean filters trap pollutants, ensure good airflow, and make sure your HVAC system doesn’t work harder than it should.
Install a Programmable Thermostat
Programmable thermostats help your HVAC system by allowing you to adjust the temperature according to the time of day and your own schedule. If you have a zoned HVAC system, you can set the thermostat to cool the rooms that are occupied. If no one’s going to be home for a while, the thermostat can let the indoor temperature rise a little then start to lower it before someone comes home. This can be programmed into the thermostat itself or controlled remotely over a device.
Utilize Fans
Don’t be afraid to use fans to boost the flow of cool air around your rooms, whether they’re floor fans, ceiling fans, tabletop fans or window fans. Ceiling fans are especially useful. One tip is to make sure they rotate clockwise during the summer. This keeps warm air from rising and making your upper floors stiflingly hot.
Cover the Windows
Undressed windows allow the heat and light of the sun to blast into a room, and that makes the air conditioning work harder than it should. One simple way to lower the temperature in a room is to cover up the windows with drapes, blinds or shutters. Some homeowners allow climbing plants or vines to grow on the outside walls of the house and provide some shade in the summer when they leaf out. A good vine to grow is the Virginia creeper, which doesn’t hurt the mortar of a brick house the way ivy would.
Call Us at Elite
Whether you enjoy a few rounds of golf at the Sage Meadows Golf Course or frequent the Bradbury Art Museum, Jonesboro is a great place to live. It does get hot in the summers, but our HVAC technicians at Elite are pleased to help you beat the heat. For even more tips and suggestions as well as AC installation and repair services, call us today.