Counties around Sarasota will experience high temperatures in the next few months. These summer time temperatures mean more rain and more work for your air conditioner. Keeping a few basic replacement and maintenance parts on hand will ensure that you can make minor maintenance and repairs to your air conditioner. This will help minimize the amount of time you must live without the cool air it can supply.
Here are 4 replacement and maintenance parts to keep on hand to help keep you cool.
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Relays
Your air conditioner relies on the performance of a series of electric parts in order to function properly. The electrical current needed to power these parts is regulated by parts referred to as relays.
When your home’s thermostat kicks on, a low-voltage signal energizes the appropriate relay within your air conditioner. Once the relay is energized, a high-voltage current is generated within the relay and passed along to activate the associated electrical part.
Bad relays can compromise the performance of your air conditioner. Keeping a supply of spares on hand can be beneficial when it comes to ensuring your home remains cool and comfortable at all times.
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Capacitors
Two types of capacitors help to regulate the performance of your air conditioner —the start capacitor and the run capacitor.
The start capacitor provides the initial surge of power your air conditioning unit needs to start up, and the run capacitor helps to maintain a constant voltage flowing through your unit while your air conditioner is in use.
If one of these capacitors burns out, you may experience an unreliable flow of cooled air. Having spare capacitors on hand to replace worn out ones can help ensure you aren’t without access to the cool air you desire inside your home.
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Fuses
In order to protect your air conditioning unit from sudden surges in electricity, your unit comes equipped with fuses. These fuses help to regulate the flow of electrical currents throughout your unit.
When a fuse is blown, your air conditioner will not function properly. Keeping a supply of spare fuses available will ensure that you can easily replace a blown fuse to keep your air conditioner running efficiently.
Knowing which replacement parts you need to keep on hand will help you ensure that your home’s air conditioner is able to maintain a cool temperature inside your home without delays during the hot summer months.
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Filters
Replacing your air conditioners filter is crucial to maintaining your units longevity. The air filter’s job is to keep dust and debris out of your HVAC equipment. You’d be amazed how much builds up on there in a very short time, especially if you have pets. That’s how much debris is clogging your air filter, and much more if you haven’t remembered to change the AC filter in a while.
When your AC filter gets clogged, dust and dirt start getting into the air conditioner itself, causing wear and tear on the air conditioners parts. The clogged filter also prevents enough air from flowing through the system to keep it working properly. According to ENERGY STAR, you should check and change the AC filter every month during peak season. Keeping extra filters on hand is easy and can help remember the filter needs to be replaced.
It’s important to find out if you are using a disposable filter or a reusable one? A disposable filter typically has a cardboard frame and a paper or fiber mesh surface. Often they are blue or white. A permanent, reusable filter is made of a more sturdy material and can have a metal frame. Either way having extras on hand makes the process easier.
