5 Free Ways to Help Your A/C Perform It’s Best

5 Free Things You Can Do to Increase the Efficiency of your Air Conditioner

#1 – Remove Plant Overgrowth

Weeds, vines and bushes surrounding your air conditioner will choke off airflow to the outdoor coils and directly effect your indoor cooling and efficiency. Take a minute and trim back any of this growth a couple of feet around the sides of the unit and clear the unit itself of hitchhiking vines.

#2 – Clear Out The Storage

Setting things on or around your A/C may seem convenient at the time but it can increase your energy bills and overheat your A/C unit. Clear out the stuff and let your a/c breath again. And never cover your air conditioner with plastic, it’s meant to be outdoors!

#3 – Clean Off Animal Hair

We love pets as much as you do but these furry friends tend to shed a lot before or during summer. Because your air conditioner is pulling air in thru it’s sides and out off the top, all that hair clogs up the coils pretty quickly and kills performance. Clean the hair of the sides of the unit and think about moving outdoor pets to another part of the yard or block their access right up next to the unit.

#4 – Filter Dryer Vents

Dryer Lint is so damaging to A/C units that the California building code says not place a/c units anywhere near them. Dryer lint will fully clog up your a/c coils and will continue to decrease cooling, and strain the compressor to the point of it seizing up. If you have an existing dryer vent nearby, put a filter on the end to capture the lint. Even an old pair of nylons are better than nothing. Make sure to clean the lint of the sides of the unit and spray it down with a garden hose if needed. This can save you thousands of dollars in replacement costs down the road.

#5 – Avoid Direct Sunlight

While you may not have a choice in the matter, if you are placing a new unit, choosing a shady location over a sunny one can increase the lifespan and efficiency of any unit.

If you have difficulty with any of these tasks or you realize it’s a bigger project than you thought, we are always here to help you get your unit back to performing it’s best. Feel free to call or contact Bob Jenson A/C and learn more about our maintenance plans.