Common A/C Pitfalls in the Summer

Alt text: A Carrier air conditioning unit installed on the exterior of a residential building in Raleigh-Durham, NC

The temperatures in North Carolina can soar past triple-digits when summer hits the region, and homeowners throughout the area beat the heat by relying on their home cooling systems. While having a high-performance air conditioner in your home can make summer days much more pleasant, getting the most out of your system requires a bit of forethought and planning.
Cooling-off your home may seem as easy as pushing the “on” button on your A/C system , but have you taken the steps needed to ensure that you don’t fall into the common pitfalls of running an air conditioner unit in the peak season?

At Happy Home Heating & Cooling, our goal is make sure that you get the performance, comfort, and efficiency that you deserve out of your air conditioning system , and we’ve put together a list of the most common pitfalls that homeowners experience—so you can avoid falling into the trap of broken-down systems and skyrocketing utility costs:

Starting Off With the Wrong System

It may seem like A/C systems are all very similar—after all, every style of unit is designed to cool-off a home! However, that just isn’t the case, and ending up with the wrong system is a common problem that homeowners find themselves in if they didn’t do their research before installation.
You need to ensure that your A/C unit is properly sized to the space that you’re cooling to keep your system running smoothly in the summer heat . You’ll also need to take into account the positioning of your unit, as a shaded, unrestricted space is the best choice for ensuring your system functions efficiently.

Running Your A/C Unit Constantly (or Not at All!)


In the heart of summer, running your A/C unit day and night —without a break— is common in many homes. In other households, people try to save money on utility costs by barely running their A/C unit at all! Either way, this can lead to issues with your HVAC system, costing you much more money down the road.

Ideally, you want your home’s interior to stay at a consistent temperature to avoid stressing the A/C unit , and the best way to do this is by investing in a programmable thermostat that keeps your cooling system on an efficient schedule.

Failing to Schedule Regular Maintenance


The last thing that you might think about in the wintertime is how well your A/C system functions, but regular maintenance is required throughout the year to ensure that your unit is ready to take on the challenge of summer! With regular maintenance , including thorough checks of the system, replacing of the air filter, and cleaning of the unit, you can avoid unexpected breakdowns or higher utility costs due to inefficient performance. Getting on a regular maintenance plan with an air conditioning specialist in your area can help take one worry off your mind—while helping you avoid one of the most common pitfalls of A/C systems.

Working Against the Efficiency of Your System


Modern-day air conditioners are more efficient than ever before, but that doesn’t mean that you can expect superior performance if you’re taking steps to work against the cooling power of your unit. Leaving windows and doors open to outside air can cause heat and humidity to enter into your home—upping your energy costs and causing your A/C unit to work much harder than it should. It’s also important to use supplement means of home cooling when you want your air conditioner to perform well on the hottest summer days, and keeping your ceiling fans running is a simple and cost-effective way to help circulate cooled air throughout your home.

As a trusted air conditioning company , Happy Home Heating & Cooling is committed to helping you avoid common mistakes with your HVAC system, and the comfort and satisfaction of our customers throughout North Carolina is our top priority.


Whether you need to schedule maintenance services before you start-up your system for the summer season or you are thinking about upgrading to a new, highly efficient model, we’re the one-stop shop for getting you the service, products, and value you deserve. Give us a call today or fill out our online form now, and we can help you get started with a free quote for A/C services !

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