Preparing Your Air Conditioner for Summer

Heating and cooling costs account for almost half of your annual electricity bill. In Lorton, Alexandria and the surrounding areas in Virginia, where winters and summers can both bring extreme weather conditions, there’s never a time when you can expect to save on your energy expenses. To ensure your system is optimized for comfort and cost savings, whether in a home or an office, it’s important to prepare it before each season. Here’s how you should get your air conditioner ready before this upcoming summer.

Change the Air Filter

During the spring and fall, when your AC doesn’t have to work as hard – or work at all – you can get away with changing your filter once during the season. In the summer, though, you should change your air filter monthly to ensure it doesn’t hinder efficient operation. If you haven’t already, change your air filter today.

Adjust the Ceiling Fans

Although using your ceiling fans isn’t a direct way to prepare your air conditioner for the summer, it’s one way to ensure it operates more efficiently and keeps you cool during it. When using a ceiling fan while you’re in a room, you can make it feel five degrees cooler than the reading on the thermostat. During the summer, adjust your ceiling fans to rotate in a counterclockwise direction to blow cool air straight down toward the ground.

Invest in an HVAC Tuneup

Unless you’re a certified service technician, performing maintenance on your air conditioner can create new problems, worsen old ones or even result in a health hazard. Conversely, when you entrust a professional with your system, you’ll conserve more energy, lower your utility bills and reduce the amount of repairs it’ll need over its lifespan.

For more information about how to prepare your Alexandria and Lorton, VA home for the hot months ahead, or if you’d like to invest in a professional air conditioning tuneup, read on about how to keep indoor air fresh throughout the summer or contact us at (703) 436-8028.