ac unit installed in a red brick wall

During summer, the eight hours we spend comfortably in our office are heaven. Why? Simply because of the air conditioner, which keeps us cool, and runs smoothly throughout the day. If you are lucky enough to have one at home, then you know that this high-maintenance machine is what allows you to sleep peacefully through those hot summer nights. 

Say your air conditioner suddenly stops working. Instead of calling a technician, you start tinkering around with your tools and before you know it…you are looking at sweaty, sleepless nights spent tossing and turning in your bed.

Problems relating to an HVAC system are not difficult to diagnose. There are certain noises and signs which become more prominent over time, such as a grinding and squealing sound, no air flow, moisture around the unit, leakage, and thermostat problems.

Here are three mistakes explained in detail that you should avoid when installing air conditioning in your house:

1. Installing the wrong sized HVAC unit

A bigger AC unit will result in constantly changing temperature and a smaller unit will take longer to cool the room. In both cases, the air conditioner will work harder, which will make your electricity bills go through the roof. To avoid all this trouble, find out how much load your house can handle. Things such as insulation, square footage, and draft layout will give you an idea of what size air conditioner you should buy.

2. Installing in the wrong position

Installing the HVAC system on the west side of the house is what negatively impacts its energy efficiency. Make sure the system is in a shaded spot. To prevent debris from getting inside the fan, cut down any shrubs and plants growing around it so that it has more room to breathe.

For proper drainage, make sure the HVAC system is tilted a little backward. This will prevent leaks and rust from forming in the coils.

Lastly, the thermostat should be installed in a place where it is not in direct contact with heat. When the reading on the thermostat rapidly changes, the AC unit works overtime to cool the room.

3. Forgetting about maintenance during the winter season

It’s important to turn on the AC units a few times during winter.  of use during the winter season causes mold to grown in the air ducts. This deteriorates the quality of the air and is the reason you experience low airflow in summer.

When turning on your air conditioner, make sure all the exhaust fans and windows in the house are closed. This will help preserve the air’s quality and you can set the thermostat at a fixed temperature. 

What you can take away from these mistakes is that an air conditioning system should be installed according to the house’s square footage and how adequately it is insulated.

If you don’t want to do it yourself, trust CaitCo’s professional HVAC technicians when it comes to installing your Santa Fe air conditioning. Call today for questions, installation costs, and availability.