Time to Check The AC!
The Situation:
This year it is as if we have gone straight into summer temperatures without even having a Spring. The economy is causing the cost of cooling your home to rise, but there is a way to check if your air conditioner is working properly right at home. Here is how to do it!
How To Check an AC Unit:
To test your central air conditioning system, turn the AC unit on, place a thermometer on the supply register for five minutes, then check the temperature and compare it to the temperature from the return vent.
Step 1: Turn the AC unit on:
How to test air conditioner efficiency: try it on hot days. The first step in an air conditioner test is to turn on your air conditioner and leave it running for at least 15 minutes on an 80-degree (or hotter) day. It makes sense to test efficiency before the sweltering heat comes, but you won't truly know your AC efficiency if you don't test it in the right environment.
Step 2: Place a thermometer on the supply register:
The supply register is intended to do just what it's name suggests: supply cool air through your home. Place a thermometer on the supply register that's closest to your cooling equipment as part of your air conditioner efficiency test. By putting it on the closest register, you're removing the variable of feet traveled when gauging if your AC is performing at peak efficiency.
Step 3: Keep the thermometer in place for at least five minutes:
A watched thermometer doesn't change. Or something like that. Leave the thermometer in place for at least five minutes before tampering with it. When testing your air conditioner efficiency, you want to give it enough time to get up to speed — but it's also helpful to know how quick it can get to doing its job.
Step 4: Repeat thermometer reading at the return vent:
. The return vent is typically larger in size. This vent is pulling air out of your home and delivering it to your HVAC system. To identify a return vent, hold up a piece of paper to the grates. If the paper is pulled toward the vent, you're in the right place. Leave the thermometer in place here for at least five minutes.
How do I know if my air conditioner efficiency is good?:
If your air conditioning unit is working well, then the air that is coming out should be at least 15 degrees cooler than the air that is coming inside. Should you notice that the machine is not getting your home cool enough, you likely have a leak, or the machine could use a fresh HVAC filter. You may need to contact an Air Conditioning professional to a look inside the machine to determine what the problem actually is.