How to Get Your Air Conditioning Ready For the Summer Heat

If there’s one thing that residents of New Mexico can count on, it’s that when spring winds down and summer arrives, things are going to get hot.

So hot, in fact, that it can make working and even just living at home very uncomfortable, even compromising the operation of electronics.

It’s a good thing that we can enjoy modern conveniences like air conditioning that make it possible to keep living and working in comfort.

But you can’t just assume that your AC system somehow works flawlessly without ever needing maintenance.

Before summer really starts to heat up, there are a few things you should do to prep your system for another season of cooling you down.

Replace Your Filter on Schedule

A very widespread design for central air conditioning is an efficient integration of the cooling systems of the air conditioner into the furnace of the home.

With this type of design, both units use the same filter.

That means that the filter is used year round, and thus should be regularly replaced with the change of seasons.

In other words, four times a year, or every three months.

You should either be taking out your filter and replacing it with a new one, if it’s disposable, or taking your filter out and cleaning it if its a permanent one.

Clean Out Your Condenser If Required

If you have the type of centralized AC system described above, that also means you’ll have a large unit with a fan installed somewhere just outside your home.

This is called the condenser, and it’s the machinery that draws in the air from the outside, exposes it to a coolant, then pumps that air into your furnace for circulation throughout the home.

The need for optimal airflow means the condenser has a lot of open, exposed points, protected by grating.

But this grating can allow in smaller types of detritus, such as leaves.

If you have plants or trees on your property, falling leaves can accumulate in the condenser, which can impact the performance.

Get them cleared out before you put your AC into heavy usage.

Make Strategic Use of Your Thermostat

A home with an older thermostat in it might benefit from an upgrade to a modern one, especially if the thermostat is so old it doesn’t have digital controls.

Newer thermostats can often be more accurate in their temperature reading, meaning the AC isn’t unnecessarily worked harder than it needs to be.

However, the biggest efficiency advantage you get from a new thermostat is in being able to program a schedule.

You can set the AC to inactive during the weekdays when no one is home, only to have it click on and start cooling down the house just as people arrive.

Newer thermostats can even be remotely controlled by your phone.