At the end of the day, going back home and relaxing before falling asleep is what everyone desires. Air conditioners have made it easy to keep your personal space at a perfectly maintained temperature making your desire a reality. Probably, that is one of the reasons why it has become difficult to live without an AC. It wouldn’t be remiss to say that ACs are now an integral part of our lives. With something as important as that even small mistakes can lead to big problems and heavy expenses. Today, we shall enlighten you about some air conditioning mistakes you should avoid making at all costs.
Having No AC – Is That Better?
Air conditioning mistakes will occur only if you have an AC. If you have no AC, that means nothing can go wrong. So is having no AC a better option? Let’s play this out with the help of a scenario. A taxing day at work, and now its time to go home to unwind and catch a few winks. But alas, as soon as you enter the home, you find it really hot (in summers) or extremely cold (in winter). Out goes the plan of unwinding, and even sleep seems a far away commodity because you twist and turn the entire night but can’t seem to get comfortable enough. In summers, you land up sweating and cursing your way through the night. Come winter, and you become like a loaded Yeti trying to become warm.
Coming back to the question on hand, is having no AC a better option? Most definitely not. It is evident from the above example that living without an AC is impossible.
Air Conditioning Mistakes You Should Avoid
1. Overlooking Maintenance – Maintenance is crucial to maintain the optimum efficiency of your AC in all seasons and at all times of the day. Though it may seem like an added expenditure when the air conditioner is working fine, that is the reason why it is in perfect working order. Miss maintenance a time or two, and your utility bills and repair costs will increase, indicating how essential it really is. A smart homeowner should never overlook maintenance. It needs to be done at least once a year, preferably at the beginning of the summers.
2. Never Doing Even The Basic Cleaning – There is much you can do on your own to keep your AC running perfectly. These things don’t require any technical knowledge; neither do they require any special tools. There are two things that you can do for your AC. First, change the air filters at regular intervals to keep the flow of air smooth and unrestricted. Do not wait for them to get completely clogged before taking any action. Second, keep the AC duct clean by dusting the unit and keeping the surrounding area of the AC free of any dust, debris, and other accumulations like leaves, pebbles, etc. These two small things go a long way in cooling your home efficiently and also improves the air quality.
3. Incorrectly Positioning The AC – The AC placement is critical to its working. You should never get your AC installed in a place that receives direct sunlight. Neither should it be installed in a narrow place, for this will create hot and cold zones in your home due to improper air circulation. Another thing of importance is that the back of your AC should be at least an inch lower than the front. It will ensure that there is no water leakage in your unit. Now, these are just a few things, but there are others as well that need equal attention to detail. Therefore, always get your AC installed by a professional. They will not only do a good job but will also do a perfect installation.
4. Constantly Changing Thermostat Temperature – Some people are of the opinion that when you venture out of the home, the temperature on the thermostat needs to be turned up. Well, that is a completely false assumption. Increasing the temperature will make your home warmer, and when you come back home, you will have to lower it to make it comfortable. When you do that, the AC has to work longer and harder to equate the temperature throughout your home. On the other hand, had you left it running status quo, the AC would have cooled only when needed, and that too for just a couple of minutes.
5. Never Switching OFF AC – If you are venturing out of the home for more than an hour or two, it is best to switch OFF the air conditioner. Why increase your utility bills when nobody is home to enjoy the cool air of the AC? It makes no sense to skyrocket your bills when there is no need for it. Be judicious in the use of your air conditioner. If you are going out for a few minutes, don’t switch it off. If your are going to be away from your home for a couple of hours or days, you must and should turn it off.
6. Buying A Wrong Size AC – You cannot purchase an AC based solely on your whims and fancies. That would be a costly mistake as you may land up becoming the owner of an AC, which is either undersized or oversized for your home. Either mistake will soar your gas and electricity bills. Take professional help while purchasing a new AC as they can rightly advise you about the size that would meet your home’s requirements.
7. Troubleshooting Problems And Carrying Out Repairs Yourself – looking for faults in your AC and repairing them on your own is the biggest air conditioning mistake that you should avoid. It can not only make the warranty on your AC void but can also become the cause for even more expensive repairs.
Conclusion
Management of your air conditioner is the only way to ensure that it performs efficiently for a long time. If you are careful and are able to avoid the above-stated air conditioning mistakes, you have already taken a giant leap in the right direction. So, keep them in mind and enjoy the cool rewards of your diligence.
