Knowledge Center
Your new homes air conditioning system operates basically the same way as your kitchen refrigerator. Both systems draw heat out of a room or space, ultimately creating a space with less heat in it to create a cool and comfortable environment. The refrigerant in the air conditioner works with the air in your home to make you feel cooler. It first enters a compressor in your air conditioning unit, at which point it goes from a cool gas into a compressed, warm gas at high pressure. It then passes through condensing coils located outside of your home, allowing the heat from the gas to dissipate outside.
After passing through these coils, the gas has become a cooler liquid that is pushed through an expansion valve, creating a fine mist of refrigerant that begins to evaporate quickly. It evaporates by absorbing heat from the air to turn into a gas, thereby lowering the temperature inside your home. This process repeats until your desired temperature has been reached, at which point your air conditioning unit shuts off until the system is needed once more.
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Tips For Providing Comfort and Company
- Replace the systems filter (located in the return air grill) every month. As more and more particles accumulate on the filter, it increases resistance and reduces the airflow. If the filter isn’t changed regularly, the air flow will decrease, and the system will not perform as well. In addition, if the filter gets very dirty, it can become a source of air pollution itself. Without an air filter, the mold, bacteria, and other particles would build up on the evaporator coil and eventually cause coil failure.
- Avoid frequent adjustments to your thermostat setting.
- Don’t set your thermostat too low. As a general rule, a temperature of 76-80 degrees will provide comfort in the hot summer months. Your equipment is designed to provide a 30-degree split from the outdoor temperature
- Never turn off your cooling system… even if you’ll be away for a day or more. Heat and moisture will build up quickly in your home. It takes a lot of time and energy to restore comfort, but it costs little to maintain it.
- When entertaining a large group of people, lower the thermostat 2-4 degrees before they arrive. Each person will produce 300 Btu’s of heat!
- Keeping windows and doors closed will not only keep out hot outside air, but it will also keep out dust, dirt, and pollen.
- Don’t open windows after dark. Night air may seem cool, but it adds moisture to your indoor air causing your system to work harder the following day.
- Don’t run the ceiling fans in a room with high ceilings when air conditioning your home. Hot air rises, and the fans will mix the hot air near the ceiling with the cooler conditioned air near the floor, thus, raising the overall temperature and causing the system to work harder. Use the ceiling fans in the winter when in heating mode instead.
- Keep the sun from adding unnecessary heat to your home by shading all exposed windows (especially all south and west windows). Using blinds, and draperies are obvious ways of accomplishing this. But also consider adding sunscreens outside each window in summer months, and plant trees to shade windows in sunny exposures. The less solar heat gain you allow in, the lower the operating costs will be!
- When cooking, showering, or using indoor laundry room appliances use the provided exhaust fans to help expel heat and moisture.
- Keep plants, shrubs, and debris at least 18 inches away from your condenser.