If you live in an area with changing seasons, you are constantly trying to make sure that your home’s HVAC system is working correctly to control your home’s climate without costing you an arm and a leg in utility bills. Every winter you must take precautions to ensure that your heating system works correctly throughout the cold, harsh winter months. Ironically, the same precautions must be taken to ensure that your cooling system works during the hot summer months as well. Without taking the proper precautions, your household could face a multitude of problems and even cause a preventable emergency that sets your home and your wallet back in a considerable way. Below are just a few steps that you can take to prepare your HVAC system for the summer months ahead.

Check your Outdoor Unit

Your high-efficiency air conditioner is the only facet of your cooling system that is constantly exposed to different elements. Harsh winter months can wreak havoc on your air conditioner unit, so it is imperative that you check your air conditioner at the beginning of each summer. The first thing that you should check on your air conditioner unit is the coils. If there is any trash or debris caught in the air conditioner’s coils, they will not be able to distribute heat correctly, causing your air conditioner to function improperly and ultimately leading to a higher utility bill. It is also important to uncover the panels that you may have covered and make sure they are clear. These panels cover and protect the electrical components of your air conditioner and if left exposed can have a dangerous effect on the outdoor unit of your cooling system. When finished taking these precautions it is important that you do not turn on your air conditioning system until you have thoroughly inspected the outdoor unit and made sure that it can function properly.

Update your Thermostat

A modern programmable thermostat can be an excellent way to get your cooling system to run more efficiently. These programmable thermostats can effectively regulate your cooling system by ensuring the home doesn’t go under a certain temperature. With a programmable thermostat, you can monitor the use of your air conditioner and prevent it from running when it does not need to. Also, having a programmable thermostat installed by an HVAC professional at the beginning of the summer can save you hundreds of dollars on your utility bills. Contact your local HVAC professional to see if they can install one for you so you can see the difference.

Fans in Your Home

You may want to consider getting a whole house fan to help with the cooling of your home. A whole house fan can go a long way towards improving air flow and keeping hot air out of your attic. Installing a house fan means that the cold air will be distributed evenly, keeping your cooling system from being overworked. Fans can also prevent you from running your air conditioning system as often, which can save you even more money.

Vents Within Your Home

Another precaution you should take is making sure that you clean your intake and exhaust vents around your home at the beginning of every summer. You do not want debris or dust to collect in your system over time. Not only is debris and dust bad for people that have allergies but it can also clog the system over time and cause damage as well. Vents are commonly overlooked when people think about cleaning their cooling system, so keeping them clean can go a long way towards having an effective air conditioning system.

Test Your System

During the spring, you should turn on your thermostat and set it to cool and turn down the temperature. Your cooling system should turn on as expected but if it does not turn on there could be a problem. If this happens to be the case, the most common problem is that one of the breakers has been tripped, or a fuse is blown. Typically, this is an easy fix that any homeowner can do, but if there are any complications, the problem may be more serious and require the services of a professional HVAC technician. It is important to check this as soon as possible. You don’t want your cooling system to go out during the hot summer months when it could be an emergency situation. These are some of the most important ways that you can ensure that your home is ready for the summer and a clean, modern cooling system is the best way to go. It is also important to stay on top of things when it comes to checking your system to ensure that it is working properly. There are many problems with your cooling system that you can fix yourself but certain problems may need the services of a trained HVAC technician. For quality services in your Dundalk, MD home, call Reliability Home at (443) 399-8663 today. They should be able to diagnose and fix any problem that you may be having when it comes to cooling your home.