With the temperatures on the rise, and summer finally here in Boston, air conditioner maintenance is on our minds. Now is a good time to change the air filter on your central air conditioning unit! Depending upon the kind of central air system you have, your air filter will be located either in your furnace or in your system’s air handler.
For systems that use the furnace as the air handler, replace the filter with a fresh one every month. Do this regularly to help keep your system operating cleanly and efficiently. In addition to reducing efficiency, clogged filters can trap (and eventually redistribute) a lot of nasty things like mold, pollen, pet dander, dust and other allergens that will make you less comfortable in your home.
If you need a reminder to change your air filter, try sending yourself an email reminder from your electronic calendar every month. Google and Outlook will both do this, and it’s an easy, free way to make sure you remember to change your AC filters!
If your system suddenly stops operating, check the breaker panel or fuse associated with your air conditioning system. Breakers sometimes trip because they’re weak. Resetting them should put your system back in working order. If the breaker trips regularly, however, it could be a sign that your compressor motor is drawing too much current when it starts up.
Motors do tend to draw a lot of current at startup; this is normal and all motors do this. Almost immediately after starting, however, the current flow to the motor should stabilize and the circuit should operate normally and safely. Sometimes, an aging compressor can draw too much power – a sign that something’s wrong with your system. Also, your system could be outfitted with a breaker that won’t tolerate a huge, brief current draw.
If your AC breaker trips consistently, give us a call at (617) 362-0377 , and we’ll observe your system to diagnose and correct the problem.
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Categories:
DIY Air Conditioning, DIY Blog
