As Glenn Frey sang in his 1984 pop hit, “The heat is on!” And boy, is it ever! You know that old saying, nothing is certain except death and taxes. Well, here in Ontario, you could add one more thing to that list: SUMMERTIME HUMIDITY!
Humidity is the stealth summer villain that you can’t see, but you can definitely feel. High levels of humidity can wreak havoc on your comfort, your health and even the structure of your home itself. So what can you do to keep humidity at bay?
1. Set it and forget it!
The biggest challenge your air conditioner faces during the summer months isn’t cooling the home, but rather, it’s dehumidifying the home. And if you let humidity levels fluctuate, you’re also going to have very high energy costs.
Time for some re-education
We were taught that turning the AC off when leaving the house was the correct thing to do. That we were supposed to turn the temp way down when the heat wave hits. Then, turn the temperature up at night when it gets cooler outside.
Well, my friend, you were taught wrong!
Our experts advise setting your thermostat at 72 degrees Fahrenheit or 22 degrees Celsius (or whatever temperature is comfortable for your household). And not touching it. AT ALL! Set it and forget it.
Turning the temperature up and down and on and off makes your system work harder, run less efficiently, and cost you more. Every time you let the humidity build in the home, your AC has to work much harder to dehumidify before it can even attempt to start cooling!
Pro tip: Consider installing an ecobee smart thermostat. It has a function which takes into account the humidity level in the home and runs the AC accordingly at its most efficient.
2. Look for signs your AC may be in trouble
Here’s a five-point checklist to see if your AC needs a little extra TLC:
- ✔️If there is water pooling around your furnace when the AC is running, it’s a sign that the AC drain may be blocked – and it’s time to call in your expert!
- ✔️If your unit seems extra noisy
- ✔️If there are strange odours
- ✔️If you’re feeling warm air instead of cool air, or it takes too long for cool air to kick in
- ✔️ If you’re feeling uneven air flow (one room is cooler or warmer than the others)
If you see any of these warning signs, give us a call.
3. Book a tune-up
You saw this one coming, didn’t you? To put it frankly, annual maintenance matters. Regular annual HVAC maintenance is highly recommended to ensure your system is running optimally and to help avoid breakdowns. Even if things seem okay right now, do you really want to risk your AC knocking out during a July heatwave? Contact us to book your AC Precision Tune-up and hear about our exciting summer offers and specials.
