The temperature is at an all-time high and odds are your air conditioner is working its heart out to keep you and your home cool. What would you do if it suddenly stopped working and needed repairs?
Prevention is the key here and it doesn’t take much to give your air conditioner a little helping hand. Just like all things electrical and refrigeration, there are things you can do to ensure they run better, more efficiently and most importantly with minimal downtime. Don’t be caught out by unexpected air conditioner repairs, read this, it could save you sweating out the summer!
Benefits of insulating your home
Most new homes are insulated as this is a requirement when building a house, however, what you may not know is that the level of insulation varies depending on your climate zone in Australia. So, for example, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast are a zone 2 – warm, humid summer with a mild winter. It is all variant on whether you have brick walls, how many windows, etc. but typically you will require R type insulation. The R value will be different for your roof, walls and floor. Even differences such as your roof colour can impact your insulation. But this is not as long-winded and technical as it seems.
As mentioned, new homes are required to have insulation installed so if you are buying a new house or building your home, you don’t have to do anything. Older homes, however, are missing out on the benefits that insulation provides the home all year round. While it is most economical and far more practical to have insulation installed during the build process, you can do it down the track as well so if you feel your current insulation is lacking, you can improve it.
What does insulating your house offer?
Insulation is one of those things in life you take for granted because you don’t see it but it does far more for you and your home than you realise. More often than not it eliminates condensation in your home, walls and ceilings, which ultimately offers benefits to your health by reducing the risk of dampness and mould. Insulation uses less energy than running your air conditioner constantly which reduces greenhouse gas emissions and non-renewable energy sources. It also offers a degree of soundproofing to your walls which is great for shift workers, light sleepers and those with a theatre room.
Heating and cooling systems – how much do you rely on them?
Anyone in an older house that is not insulated, whether it is made of bricks or fibro, will tell you how hot and sticky their place gets in summer and without their air conditioner running constantly they would be sitting in pools of sweat. Or how they need to have the heater or fireplace on nonstop in winter or they’d freeze. Neither of those options sound very appealing or cost effective!
Without insulation you will be dependent on heating and cooling systems to regulate the temperature to something remotely comfortable.
Electricity bills – it makes a difference
With temperatures soaring and electricity bills on the rise, everyone is looking for viable ways they can reduce their power usage in an effort to cut back on unnecessary costs. For some it may be to use the clothes line instead of the clothes dryer, to ensure all unused lights are in fact switched off or cutting back on their air conditioning usage. Without insulation, half of the energy used to cool and heat your home simply leaks out which in turn requires your heating and cooling unit to work harder. When looking at the cost of insulation, most will immediately see the value and work out that in a matter of five or so years the insulation will have paid for itself in just reduced electricity bills alone!
The life of your air conditioner without insulation
As you can see your air conditioner is required and expected to work hard, all the time! Expecting anything to work efficiently with constant use is only going to end in disappointment and more often than not additional repairs costs.
While air conditioners are an essential in Australian homes for at minimum the summer, without the support of insulation they are fighting an unwinnable battle and are destined for breakdowns.
Common breakdowns, maintenance and repairs include:
- Dirty filters – You may notice that your air conditioner is struggling more than usual, first thing’s first, check the filters! More often than not your filters will be dirty and require maintenance. By cleaning these it prevents blockages caused by dirt and dust that prevent the air conditioning unit from breathing.
- Ice forming – Oh no, there is ice forming inside your air conditioner unit, what does that mean? Depending on your air conditioner this could be a DIY job or require a professional technician. Start by turning off your air conditioner for a few hours and letting the ice melt, from there you need to remove the filter and see if it requires cleaning or replacement. If this does not fix the problem or your unit continues to freeze, call a professional.
- Mould – When you have mould or mildew growing in your air conditioner it is typically a result of a drainage pipe that is blocked. This can cause a bad smell to be expelled from your cooling or heating unit, give your air conditioner repairman a call to give your unit a service and clean.
No one wants unexpected costs, let alone for air conditioner repairs when all you really want is to be enjoying the cool comfort of your home. Don’t make the same mistake as so many others, insulation offers so many benefits that it doesn’t make sense not to at least consider having it installed!
Get in now before you find yourself in need of an air conditioner technician!
Need to book air conditioner repairs or a service? Contact the licensed team at Crown Power today on 0427 175 654!
