How to keep the air conditioner running during hot weather

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The heat is here and it’s important to stay on top of air conditioner maintenance.

Rene Lucas, co-owner of LCS Heating and Cooling in Indianapolis, has a few tips to help keep AC units running smoothly, no matter what the thermometer outside says.

The rule of thumb, according to Lucas, is to change out the filters. Air conditioners are working to filter both air and humidity during intense heat.

“Change your filter. A filter that’s a little dirty would do fine when it’s 80 degrees outside, but when it is 90 to 100 degrees, then you really do need to have a clean filter in that system,” Lucas said.

Lucas also suggests opening all of the vents in your home or apartment to ensure consistent airflow. Closing vents can disrupt that and force the AC unit to work overtime.

Limiting how much you go in and out of the home is also helpful.

“Keep your curtains closed. Keep the doors closed. Keep the garage door closed,” Lucas said.

One of the most important things you can do is to bump the thermostat up a few degrees to keep the pressure off the cooling system and balance air circulation, according to Lucas.

“When it is this hot outside, we have to set realistic expectations for our air conditioners. They are not designed to cool a home at 68 to 70 degrees when it is 100 degrees outside. If you are someone who likes to keep your home 68 to 70 degrees, you might want to bump it up to 72, 73, 74 over the coming days because it is likely to fall behind a little bit anyway.”

If you’ve done everything you can think of to keep your home cool and it still isn’t working, pick up the phone, Lucas says.

‘”If you think there’s something wrong, there probably is, and it’s not usually just going to fix itself. Definitely give an HVAC company a call so that you can get on the schedule.