5 steps for starting, maintaining your central air system

5 steps for starting, maintaining your central air system

By Chad Humphrey, KSL.com Contributor

May 6th, 2014 @ 6:06pm

SALT LAKE CITY Utah homeowners know summers are long and hot but that doesn't mean your home can't be a sanctuary from the heat with a properly functioning air conditioner.

"Heating and cooling accounts for more than half of the energy use in a typical U.S. home, making it the largest energy expense for most homes," according to Energy.gov.

Here are five steps to get the most of your central air system and keep it running efficiently and strong all summer long.

Before you turn it on

Walk outside. Take a look at your condenser unit. If you covered the condenser over the winter, remove the cover before you turn it on. Remove any objects or vegetation within 18 inches. It's not a bad idea to take a hose with a nozzle and spray off the coils at a 45 degree angle to remove debris between the fins.

The inside part of your central air system is often overlooked by homeowners and this is where many problems begin. Regularly changing your filter is the best thing you can do for your system.

"A dirty filter will slow down air flow and make the system work harder to keep you warm or cool," according to the energy efficiency website energystar.gov.

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5 steps for starting, maintaining your central air system