Preparing Your Air Conditioning System for the Hot Columbus Summer

July 25, 2023


Although we’ve had a very cold winter with a lot of snowfall this year, Columbus residents can expect this summer to bring sweltering highs. On the very hottest days, when your thermometer exceeds 90°F, it’s time to shut all your windows and doors and turn on your air conditioner to keep cool. Some homeowners attempt to save money by running their air conditioning in Columbus as little as possible, but utilizing these tips you can lower your utility bills while keeping the heat out of your home.

Weatherize Your Home

Many homeowners call the process of sealing up cracks around window frames and installing weatherstripping “winterization,” but this is really a misnomer, since air leaks are just as damaging to your electric bills in summer as they are in winter. If warm air infiltrates your home, your air conditioner will have to work overtime in order to maintain a cool indoor temperature. By sealing your home, you will keep the heat out and the cool air in even on the hottest of summer days.

Change Your Air Filter

During the spring months, when the days are pleasantly warm and the nights are brisk and cool, homeowners often leave their windows open to enjoy fresh air. While this can help the air temperature inside your home stay comfortable, it can also allow pollutants such as pollen to enter your house, where they can clog your air conditioner’s filter. Dust, dirt, and pet dander also accumulate on the filter, reducing its effectiveness. A dirty filter will impede airflow in your air conditioning and ducts, so be sure to change yours at least once a month at the height of summer when you run your air conditioning the most.

Have Your Air Ducts Cleaned

Because you will likely be running your air conditioning in Columbus for extended periods of time this summer, it is important to make sure that you have your ducts cleaned before the weather really starts to change. Like your filter, your ducts can become coated with dirt, pollen, and other pollutants, which drastically lower the indoor air quality in your home and can aggravate allergies and other respiratory ailments.

Schedule an Air Conditioning Tune-Up

Just like your vehicle, your air conditioner needs regular tune-ups to ensure that it stays in excellent operating condition. A poorly functioning air conditioner has to work harder to cool your home, so it consumes more electricity and runs longer than a unit that is working properly. A certified technician can check your refrigerant levels and clean out your AC’s coils and fins to ensure that your unit is operating efficiently and smoothly.

Discover more air conditioning tips in our online Learning Center, and visit our homepage for more information about air conditioning systems in Columbus Ohio.

Last Updated: July 25, 2023