IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Temperatures are heating up this week, and everyone wants to stay cool.
Local News 8 learned some ways to make sure your air conditioner is working properly so you don’t break the bank while trying not to melt in your own home.
Air conditioning is all about airflow. If dust, hair, and other debris build up in your air filters and vents, air won’t be able to travel freely. The same thing goes for if you block your vents with furniture.
Air filters should be changed every one to two months. If you have a lot of pets that shed, you might need to change the filters even more often.
“There’s a lot of people who live in new construction areas here around town. The dirt and dust that gets brought up into the air from new construction can get into people’s filters and cause them to need to be be changed more often,” said First Call Jewel Sales Manager, Matt Bidstrup.
If you have windows that face the west, the setting sun could make the room extra hot. It could help to put up blackout curtains.
If your home feels hot, Bidstrup says it’s best to gradually turn the temperature down one or two degrees at a time. You can’t suddenly change your thermostat from 75 to 65 degrees and expect it to work. A/C systems are not designed to run for hours and hours.
“If you try and run it continuously for hours, you’re going to end up freezing up your outdoor unit, your indoor coil, and it’s going to cause more damage,” Bidstrup said. “And you’re really not going to get the results that you’re expecting.”
If you replace your air filter and make sure your vents aren’t blocked, but your A/C still isn’t working properly like it used to, it’s probably best to call in a professional to sort that out.
