The temperatures are rising already.. Are you Ready?.. This is the time you year that everyone is thinking pretty much the same thing_ How can we keep our homes that dreamy 72 degrees without breaking the bank?Andrew Jauss, Co- Owner of FACT HVAC that has been helping families in the East valley answer this question for over 20 years. A legacy HVAC professional, Andrew literally grew up working in the A/C industry learning from his dad. “Your HVAC system is the most important appliance in your home.” Shared Jauss. In Arizona, air conditioning is not something that you can afford be without. It can literally mean life or death consequences if your system goes down. “Just like with our cars, routine maintenance can save thousands of dollars in major repairs.” Here are some tips Andrew suggested to help us all have a cooler summer.
1. Schedule maintenance before summer
There are a lot of terms for this service including preventive maintenance, seasonal maintenance, or simply a PM. We call ours a FACT Check. Regardless of the name, this service is designed to help prevent premature breakdowns of your HVAC system. By addressing a small issue now, you can avoid a much larger and more costly problem down the road.
2. Change the Filters
Air filters are the first step in helping you maintain a clean and healthy indoor environment. How often should you change your air filter? The simple answer is this, the more often you change them the cleaner your air will be and your A/C will run more efficiently. If you have allergies or pets and you use a high quality air filter, we recommend replacing it every 30 days.
3. Check your thermostat
First, if your thermostat has batteries, replace them before summer. As simple as this sounds, we have had many calls for a defective thermostat and when we arrived at the home it was nothing more than dead batteries. Save yourself some money and pop in a fresh set. Second, if you don’t have one already, look into installing a smart thermostat. There are a lot of options on the market and many of them work with an app on your phone that can notify you when there is an issue with your A/C system.
4. Install a drain line safety switch
A/C systems not only cool our homes in the summer but they also work as dehumidifiers drawing moisture out of the air. This produces a lot of condensation and the drain line needs to clear all of that moisture out of your house. When your drain line clogs it can lead to costly water damage. By installing a safety switch it can detect a clogged line and shut down the A/C system before it causes a major leak.
5. Clear debris from around the system
A simple action you can take is to clear any items, debris or gunk from around your outdoor condenser. This allows your system to freely circulate air which helps with energy efficiency as well as helping to prevent premature wear on the different components of the system.
One final reminder from Andrew, whoever you choose to help with you HVAC system this season, “Only hire an HVAC company that is licensed, bonded and insured.” It really does make a difference. Wishing you all a 72 degree summer!
