Everything You Need To Know About Your AC System
There’s nothing worse than walking into your home and smelling something funky. Bad smells can be extremely off-putting and embarrassing, especially if you have company over.
Although your best bet at fixing the problem is to find the source of the smell and get rid of it as soon as possible, the smell tends to linger throughout the house even after the cause has been removed.
One of the most commonly asked life-hack questions is, “Can you hang car fresheners in your air conditioning ducts as a quick-fix for the smell without resulting in any negative side-effects?“
The simple answer is—yes, you can! If an air freshener is designed to clip onto a car vent, then you should be able to slide it onto your home’s AC duct to make it smell clean and fresh.
Although this simple trick might fix the funk temporarily, it’s probably not the best long-term solution for keeping your home smelling nice all of the time. Often the cause of the smell cannot be located easily and this can be a sign of a larger issue with your AC ducts.
Why Should I Get My AC Ducts Cleaned?
Without regular cleaning and maintenance, it can be difficult to detect whether everything in your air conditioning system is working properly.
AC ducts can become blocked with dust and other debris, leading to a build-up of moisture which can lead to mold. Mold in your AC ducts can result in a terrible, musty odor throughout your home. This is why it’s also not recommended to use your air ducts for storage.
At Art Plumbing, AC & Electric our professionals can provide excellent solutions to ensure your AC units are cleaned and well-maintained, to improve your indoor air quality. One of the solutions is to install High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters in your air ducts to better purify the air. This kind of installation should be done by a professional to ensure that no damage is caused.
Can I Turn My AC Off When I’m On Vacation?
One of the tough decisions that homeowners are faced with when leaving for vacation is whether or not to turn their air conditioner off while they are away.
The first thing to consider when making this decision is the length of your vacation.
If you’re going away for more than a week then it will probably cut your energy costs significantly to not have your AC hard at work, cooling your home while you’re away.
However, if your AC is off for the entirety of your vacation then it may be unpleasant to come home to a warm, musty space. This means your air conditioning will have to work harder to turn the inside air temperature to a more comfortable level upon your return.
There are other things you can do to make sure your AC is not working too hard and to help keep the electricity costs down while you’re out of town. Some of these things include closing the curtains or blinds to keep the sun out, setting the temperature a couple of degrees higher than you would usually have it if you were at home, or simply investing in a smart thermostat.
A smart thermostat would mean that you can adjust the temperature throughout the day to keep energy costs down, as well as set the temperature lower a few days before you are coming home to make sure the house is cool when you get back from vacation.
Can I Ever Set My AC Thermostat Too Cold?
A common question that gets asked about AC systems is whether or not you can cause it to break by setting the temperature too low.
The thermostat acts as a “switch” to let the AC unit control know when to turn on the compressor that works to cool the air temperature. When the thermostat reads lower than what the air temperature is, the compressor is switched on and the AC is working for as long as it takes to reach that particular temperature. Turning down the thermostat doesn’t make it cooler faster; it simply means the compressor will be working for longer and using more energy in the process. Ultimately, continuing to make the AC unit work harder can cause wear and tear on the unit in the long run which could cause it to break later on.
Can My AC Make Me Sick?
One of the top AC system fallacies is that using your AC unit can make you sick. This is a big misconception.
The common cold is actually a viral infection and that means the temperature of your home cannot be the cause. The important thing to remember with your AC system is to conduct regular cleaning and maintenance and ensure your filters are in good condition so that the air is always of top-quality.
Can Rain Destroy My AC System?
Air conditioning systems are extremely durable and are designed to be outdoors and withstand all of the elements. This means that rainfall won’t harm your outdoor AC unit and it is safe to run your AC during any extreme weather conditions.
For any more expert answers to some of your AC system questions, give us a call on 954-752-1282 today!
