News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
As temperatures rise across the state, people are switching over to air conditioning.
Ted Jernigan of Integrity Heating and Cooling said people need to be on the lookout for problems.
“Take a look at your thermostat at around mid-day, around one or two o’clock in the afternoon,” Jernigan said. “If you have it set for 74-degrees and it’s 76-degrees, that’s a pretty good indication that the unit is not keeping up.”
Having your air conditioning unit checked by a professional is one way to prevent problems. Jernigan said how often you should schedule a check up depends on the unit’s age.
“My rule of thumb is you can do it once a year for the first 10 years,” Jernigan said. “After the 10-year mark, a twice-a-year inspection is more recommended. The older things get, we want to keep a little better eye on them.”
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, 84 percent of all U.S. homes have an air conditioner. More air conditioning is used in the U.S. than all other countries combined.
Jernigan said there are some basic things that you can do throughout the year to help maintain your air conditioner.
“The first thing to do is keep the air filter checked or changed monthly,” Jernigan said. “A whole house filter does a better job, and they should be checked once a year. The other thing I suggest my customers do is, if they feel comfortable doing it, is to wash the outside coils off of their air conditioner unit. Also, try to keep shrubbery cut back at least two foot around the outside unit.”
If you keep your air conditioner maintained, Jernigan said, you can get many years out of your unit.
“I have some units out there that are 40-years-old,” Jernigan said. “They’re not very efficient, but they’re still going.”
Jernigan said the life span of an average air conditioner unit is around 12-15 years. He said some of the more efficient units can last over 25 years.
