TWIN FALLS — As the heat continues and people are taking turning up the air conditioning units to stay cool, make sure to maintain and make any necessary repairs as soon as possible to ensure it remains in working order.
Officials say this is especially important since it may be more challenging to find repair services currently if an AC unit stops working.
“We’ve been trained to think over the years you can just get this item or get that part or get that piece, and today, that’s not the case, said Steve Deuel, the general manager for Terry's Heating and Air Conditioning. "The heart and soul of an air conditioner is the compressor, and if a compressor goes down today, you could wait weeks or months just to get that item.”
While there is an array of issues an air conditioner may have to not be working properly, one that is seen often is the collection of debris inside the unit.
“On the outdoor section of your air conditioner, make sure it’s free of debris, shrubs, trees, things like that," said Deuel. "These things work long and hard, and they need to be clean and ready to go.”
To try and ensure your air conditioner remains working, limit usage by keeping lights off and having your windows and blinds closed. If your AC runs regularly, it's important to keep a steady temperature and check on your filter.
“Far and foremost making sure that filter is clean. Get the proper size, the proper thickness, do not double up filters," said Deuel. "That’s something that you can do comparatively, an ounce of prevention.”
People are encouraged to check on their filters often since different homes have different factors that could lead to a potential problem.
“One-inch filters can be changed as often as monthly," said Deuel. "If you have a big infiltration home or lots of pets, you need to keep up on that. Don’t just take our word for it and say it needs to be this. Four-inch filters can filter for a longer period of time. You might get several months out of them. But again, you need to look at that for your own home. ”
