The Houston summer months are gearing up to throw their best shot at us and our homes, and we all need to be prepared to throw our best shot back at them. And the best way to do that is to have your air conditioning unit operating at full blast and on all cylinders when the heat wave hits.
In this blog post, we’ll provide you with several examples of quick and easy ways to best prepare your air conditioning unit for the dog days of summer. Some of these tips may seem familiar or self-explanatory, but you can never be too careful – because for many of us, one of our worst summer nightmares is turning that switch and realizing that our AC is not operating at its fullest capacity to keep us cool and comfortable.
At Flex Heating and Air, we understand that your comfort is your first priority. So it has become our first priority as well. Our staff is here to help, and to answer any questions you may have. So let’s dive right into a few steps on how air conditioner maintenance in Houston can help you through the hottest days of the year when they come along.
1. For air conditioner maintenance in Houston, get a routine checkup
Want a catch-all step to fixing any problems that may arise during the sweltering Houston summer months? Find out any potential pitfalls that might pop up all at once so that you can head them off before they cost you comfort down the line. Have a professional inspector, like one from our team here at Flex Heating and Air, come on out and check your AC unit to make sure everything is running smoothly or can be repaired as quickly as possible for your summer comfort.
Have any questions? Don’t be afraid to ask our inspector while they’re out at your property. We’re here to answer any and all questions you might have during the process.
2. Make sure those air filters are clean
Nobody wants a dirty air filter. And we may have addressed this topic in passing before, but it’s especially crucial during the sweltering summer months in Houston. Generally speaking, a dirty or clogged filter reduces air flow within your unit, meaning it will not be cooling your home at an optimal level.
This is also one of the tips suggested to save energy on home cooling according to the U.S. Department of Energy, which touts changing out air filters as one of the ways to help reduce energy consumption by at least 20 percent in the home. So if you discover this as the culprit, we can have a technician from Flex Heating and Air come and change those filters out for you.
3. Check your ducts
Leaky ducts can it much harder on your air conditioner, or cause it to not work at all depending on how much air is leaking out. According to a study from the University of Florida, ducts leaking just 20 percent of the conditioned air passing through them cause your system to work 50 percent harder during a time – summer – when it will already be working overtime.
And like many AC issues, this is not a DIY job for many. To remedy the issue, a professional technician can come out and inspect your ducts to make sure there are no major leaks present. One of our team can also help seal the system up to make sure your AC runs smoothly.
4. Check refrigerant levels
Low refrigerant levels in your air conditioning unit is another common potential pitfall that will make the unit work that much harder to cool your home. Additionally, a lack of refrigerant can cause the unit to freeze up – which nobody wants to happen during those Houston summers. This is something that can easily be checked on by one our technicians at Flex Heating and Air, and easily added to your unit if you are running low.
5. Clean the coils and fins
This is sort of two-tips-in-one, and another issue we’ve briefly addressed before – but you can never be too careful with your air conditioner, especially when it comes to making it through a Houston summer.
Make sure to have a technician take a look and make sure there is no dust, pet hair, or and additional debris clogging up the coils on either the internal or external units for your AC. If your unit gets clogged, it can cause reduced air flow that inhibits your unit’s ability to adequately cool your home in the summer.
Lastly, if the fins on your outside unit are bent, your AC unit will not run as efficiently. They can easily be brushed back by one of our technicians, so don’t be afraid to ask us to check them and take care of the problem if it is one.
Why choose Flex Heating and Air for air conditioner maintenance in Houston?
Especially during those summer months, maintaining your AC unit is crucial to your comfort here in Houston. At Flex Heating and Air, we will put your comfort first. We realize you have a long list of HVAC companies to choose from, or that you may have been let down by a previous contractor. That’s why we will never take your business for granted and are committed to providing the highest quality and most reliable HVAC services. There are zero corners cut here at Flex Heating and Air, and we will always be transparent about our process to ensure that we are serving your needs.
We know it can be a bit of a hassle to take these steps, but in the end we believe they will go a long way toward your ultimate comfort even when that Houston sun is beating down on your home. So have one our certified and trained professional technicians come out today and take a look at your unit so you can stay cool all summer long.