Doing Your Part to Keep Your HVAC System Running

A few months ago, my air conditioner completely died. I woke up in the middle of the night covered in sweat, and I didn't know what to do. The next day, I called an HVAC expert, and they came out to inspect my system. It turned out that it had failed because of filthy filters and a clogged return duct, which made me sick to my stomach. I had caused the problem, and I needed to learn how to fix things. My HVAC professional taught me a few easy maintenance techniques that I didn't know before, so that I could maintain my new system. Check out this blog to learn more about HVAC yourself.

Combating Excessively Dry Air From Your Air Conditioner

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One of the complaints most people have about air conditioning and heating in general is that the air in the room becomes very dry, which affects their sinuses, eyes, and skin. The problem is compounded if someone has to sit in the path of the air blowing through the vent. There are ways to combat this dry air, though, so that your home stays cool and comfortable instead of cool or comfortable.

Double-Check the Temperature

Sometimes the thermostat is set to a lower temperature than is really needed. Check what you're wearing and doing in the home. If you're wearing clothes from your fall wardrobe in summer while baking roasts in the oven in your kitchen, and you've set the thermostat so that the temperature is very, very low, you need to adjust things a little. Dress appropriately for hot weather; you don't have to wear shorts, but at least have a short-sleeve shirt on. Try to limit cooking and baking to appliances that don't give off much heat, like rice cookers and toaster ovens, instead of the main oven, or cook outside on the grill. Adjust the thermostat upward so that you don't have as much aridity and cold blasting at you out of the vents.

Adding Humidity

Properly sized air conditioners do remove humidity. However, you personally might think that they're removing too much for your own comfort. Adding humidity back into the air is best, and there are a few ways to do that. One is to raise the temperature a little so that less air flows over the condenser coils. Another is to get a portable humidifier, of course. And the third is to eventually swap out your central air conditioning for a swamp cooler. These are evaporative coolers that send moisture vapor into the air while cooling instead of removing moisture.

Adjust the Airflow

As mentioned earlier, problems with dry air are compounded if you have to sit in the flow of the air. Sometimes moving away or adjusting the flow of air is easy, but if you find yourself in a seemingly impossible situation, you can deflect the airflow by placing furniture between where you are and where the vent is. Folding room screens and plants are also very good for breaking up or blocking a stream of dry air.

If those don't work and you're still experiencing problems from very dry air, have your air conditioner looked at by qualified repair people like A Bailey Plumbing. You want to be sure the system is sized correctly and is not malfunctioning.

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23 January 2017