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Genesis Heating & Cooling Inc., YOUR “AIR EXPERT”, can be reached 1-800-365-3933 & 260-456-3933 or genesisheating.com Maintenance Tips
Keep Your AC unit Clear The big AC unit that sits outside your house is called the condenser and it is what actually cools the liquid in the coils of your AC. Cooler coils mean cooler air in your house. You will want to keep the area around the condenser clear of grass, bushes, leaves and just about everything else so that the fan gets the maximum amount of air that it can. A good rule of thumb is to make sure there is nothing blocking the vents or around the unit for one or two feet in every direction. In addition, be careful to make sure that cut grass is not blowing into the unit each time you mow your lawn. Keep Your system unit Clean Different air conditioning units can be cleaned different ways, but you generally want to make sure that the interior is free of debris on the outside and inside. To clean your air conditioning unit you should always check your service manual first, but there are some general steps. Make sure you turn off the power to the unit before cleaning. Most units can be cleaned with a hose sprayed from the top down, washing any dirt or debris from the inside. You might want to remove one side panel of the outside unit and then take a broom or rake and any leftover debris or leaves that have been washed down to the bottom. Some sites recommend cleaning the coils with soft brushes or wet rags, but coils can be damaged easily. I have found that spraying them down with water usually works fairly well. You will also want to keep your AC unit clear and clean during the winter off-season when you are not using it. There are some pros and cons to covering your AC during the winter and your choice will ultimately depend upon your situation. NOTE: If you have an air source Heat Pump, you should Never Cover It!
Keep Your Outdoor Unit Cool The U.S. Department of Energy recommends shading your central AC unit so that it does not have to work as hard to cool the coils inside it. This is a great idea and one, which I have not taken advantage of yet. My AC unit sits in the hot sun for about half the day until the sun moves over my home, so during the early afternoon my AC is working hard just to keep my house, not to mention itself, cool. Planting a shade tree near (but not too near) the unit is a great idea. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, this one action could save you up to 10% on your cooling bill! Keep the Temperature Consistent Do not turn your AC unit on and off because that can burn out the interior switches and sometimes even mess up your thermostat. You are better off setting your thermostat temperature and letting the air conditioning catch up and do its job without your interference. To save even more money you can use a programmable thermostat , which you can program to change the temperature to be a little warmer in your house when you are typically away during the day. You will also want to keep your central air conditioner fan on AUTO and not ON all the time. These systems can cycle automatically on their own terms and keeping your furnace fan ON all the time could actually make your home warmer as you blow warm air back into your home depending on your duct system. There may be reasons to run the fan continually to balance temperatures throughout larger homes especially!
Check Your System Regularly You will want to check a couple different things on your AC about once a month. You will want to check your air filter and replace it a little more than usual. Some sites recommend replacing it once a month depending on the size and type, some the manufacturer suggests changing them every six or twelve months. If you can write the date on the filter when you install it, you will also want to look around for any leaks in the hoses or air ducts. You would be shocked at how often you will find loose ducts with small gaps and tiny air leaks around older ductwork. You might also consider insulating your home’s air ducts , which will not only help with heating, but also on cooling.
You should have your System Serviced seasonally Even after all these checks on your own, you’re sometimes better off having a professional come in and look things over, especially if you suspect any problems. Some local utility companies actually offer affordable service plans you can buy that will include discounts for pre-season checks or two just to make sure everything is running, as it should. A professional technician can also tell you if you the refrigerant should be recharged or if anything may need replacing sooner than you think. You might even want to consider having a full service on your AC unit every year or two. You will almost definitely make up the money in energy savings and peace of mind during those hot summer days. Ceiling fans are a Great thing in about every room in the house, You can keep my thermostat set a little bit higher but still feel cool with the fans going. make sure the ceiling fan direction is properly set blowing down for cooling and, yes, they really do make a big difference when they are running. It is estimated that you can save up to 5% of your energy bill for each degree higher you set your thermostat in the summer months. hope this helps you save some money this season and helps you and your air conditioner unit last longer and run more efficiently all summer long!
Heating Equipment
Heat pumps and
oil-fired furnaces and boilers need a yearly professional tune-up. Gas-fired
equipment burns cleaner; it should be serviced every other year. Blowers
Tuning up the
distribution side of a forced-air system starts with the blower. The axle should
be lubricated; blades cleaned, and lower motor checked to insure the unit isn't
being overloaded. The fan belt should be adjusted so it deflects no more than an
inch when pressed. Every accessible joint in the ductwork should be sealed with
mastic or UL-approved duct tapes. Any ducts that run outside the heated space
should be insulated. On a hot-water system, the expansion tank should be
drained, the circulating pumps cleaned and lubricated, and air bled out of the
radiators.
Thermostats
While
thermostats rarely fail outright, they can degrade over time as mechanical parts
stick or lose their calibration. Older units will send faulty signals if they've
been knocked out of level or have dirty switches. To recalibrate an older unit,
use a wrench to adjust the nut on the back of the mercury switch until it turns
the system on and, using a room thermometer, set it to the correct temperature.
Modern electronic thermostats, sealed at the factory to keep out dust and grime,
rarely need adjusting. However, whether your thermostat is old or young, the
hole where the thermostat wire comes through the wall needs to be caulked, or a
draft could trick it into thinking the room is warmer or colder than it really
is.
A neglected
in-duct humidifier can breed mildew and bacteria, not to mention add too much
moisture to a house. A common mistake with humidifiers is leaving them on after
the heating season ends. Don't forget to pull the plug, shut the water valve,
and drain the unit. A unit with a water reservoir should be drained and cleaned
with white vinegar, a mix of one part chlorine bleach to eight parts water, or
muriatic acid. Mist-type humidifiers also require regular cleaning to remove
mineral deposits.
Most houses
with forced-air furnaces have a standard furnace filter made from loosely woven
spun-glass fibers designed to keep it and its ductwork clean. Unfortunately,
they don't improve indoor air quality. That takes a media filter, which sits in
between the main return duct and the blower cabinet. Made of a deeply pleated,
paper-like material, media filters are at least seven times better than a
standard filter at removing dust and other particles. An upgrade to a pleated
media filter will cleanse the air of everything from insecticide dust to flu
viruses.
A maze of
heating and air-conditioning ducts runs inside the walls and floors of 80
percent of American homes. As the supply ducts blow air into the rooms, return
ducts inhale airborne dust and suck it back into the blower. Add moisture to
this mixture and you have a breeding ground for allergy-inducing molds, mites,
and bacteria. Many filters commonly used today can't keep dust and debris from
streaming into the air, and over time, sizable accumulations can form — think
dust bunnies, but bigger. Thank you Kevin Creager pres. |
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Contact Information Please Call or Send an E-Mail for any additional Information !
1-260-456-3933 Send mail to
genesisheating@msn.com with
questions or comments about this web site.
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