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Common AC Usage Mistakes

Admin • Jul 08, 2019

Split Type Air Conditioner — Rochester Hills, MI — Briarwood Heating & Cooling

Learning the needs, correct maintenance, and usage procedures of your home's AC system may seem like a lot of homework. But this can actually help you manage your home more energy efficiently, reduce the need for repairs and replacements, and ensure your home doesn't deteriorate in value due to accidental neglect.

Here are some common AC usage mistakes to avoid.

1. Obstructing Registers

Some homeowners think that the registers in each room are there so that you can open and close them to easily control the temperature in the room. However, closing the registers actually reduces AC efficiency because the airflow the system needs just isn't there.

Obstructing airflow through registers in any other way, such as with a filter or by placing furniture on the register, can also be counterproductive. When registers are obstructed, the AC simply can't push cool air into your rooms as quickly as it should be able to. In some cases, this can not only cause overwork and reduce efficiency but even lead to frozen-up coils.

2. Setting Temperature Too Low in Summer

Your preferred temperature probably doesn't change much throughout the summer. But asking your AC unit to hold your house in the 70s when the heat index is above 110 will cause problems.

During a heat wave, you need to think about how much you can reasonably expect from your AC system rather than how cool you would like your home to be. An AC unit is typically sized to keep your home cool in normal summer conditions. So when heat is much higher than expected, the system can become overworked.

Because your AC can only reduce temperatures so much, you should also avoid adding extra heat into your home. For example, using the oven or taking long hot showers and running the dehumidifier could increase temperatures still further. This is especially important during the day, when your system is the most overworked because it's battling heat gain from the sun.

If you find your AC often has difficulty keeping your home cool on the hotter days of summer (not just during a once-a-decade heat spike), you may want to help by adding passive cooling. This could mean shading some of your walls, putting awnings and solar films on your windows, and increasing insulation (especially in your attic) to reduce heat gain.

The less heat gain your home experiences during the day, the easier your AC system's job is. If the system still doesn't operate well enough, have a professional HVAC contractor check it out. The unit may need maintenance, or you may simply need a larger unit.

3. Forgetting About Air Filters

Speaking of maintenance, the most frequent maintenance step your AC system needs is an AC air filter change (you should change it once a month or every couple of months, or more often if you have allergies or a pet). Not coincidentally, that's also a frequently forgotten or neglected type of AC maintenance. And when you forget your AC filters, your entire AC system suffers.

A clogged filter is one of those things that can make your AC work harder with less overall effect. So be sure to mark it on your calendar, set a reminder on your phone, or do whatever you need to do to remember your AC filter changes.

These three common mistakes can be avoided if you simply learn what your AC needs and how it operates. A little awareness and some occasional maintenance, both home maintenance and professional maintenance, are usually all your AC system needs to work well.

Whether your AC unit is due for a professional maintenance visit or whether you suspect it's malfunctioning and needs repairs or replacements, Briarwood Heating & Cooling can help. Get in touch today to learn more about our services and how we can help you help your AC system to keep you comfortable.

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