As you might imagine, we get a lot of questions at Northern's One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning® during the summertime regarding air conditioners. Here are the answers to three of the most common ones.

1. What type of regular maintenance do air conditioners need?

While a reputable cooling system repair company will obviously provide a thorough top-to-bottom check of all your AC components, the most important part of a maintenance check typically concerns airflow. The worst enemy of any sort of HVAC system is obstructed airflow because this problem causes a system to have to work much too hard. As a result, your bills will be too high and your system’s lifespan will be greatly reduced. A maintenance check should definitely include looking at the air filter, coils, and heat exchanger.

2. How many times a year should I replace my air filter?

Usually, you should have your filter cleaned or replaced once a month during the cooling season. Again, air conditioners don’t work nearly as well when their air filters are dirty. Changing yours is one of the most important things you can do to keep your system running as efficiently and effectively as possible.

3. Where should I set my thermostat?

Everybody has different preferences, of course. However, most people seem to prefer an inside temperature of around 72-75 degrees during the summer. If you leave your home for an extended period of time, it’s important that you don’t move your setting up any more than five degrees in an effort to save energy. Set it any higher and you could wind up actually wasting a great deal of energy; the reason is that your unit will have to work extremely hard to get back to your preferred temperature once you get back home.

If you have any other questions, whether they involve air conditioners or any of the HVAC services we provide, call Northern's One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning® at (763) 284-8639 or contact us online.