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Here's how to keep your air conditioner alive in the dog days of summer

Posted at 4:30 AM, Jul 20, 2017
and last updated 2017-07-20 08:02:20-04

CINCINNATI -- The last thing you want to hear when temperatures leap above 90 degrees Fahrenheit is the chug of a malfunctioning air conditioning unit, but it’s exactly that sort of breakdown that keeps Arlinghaus technicians like Bryan Nelson working around the clock every summer.

“Our service team is seeing an influx of calls,” he said. “A day like today, we can run from 7 a.m. to midnight.”

It’s good business for him, but bad news for families left slowly boiling in the heat when their air conditioners give up the ghost. We asked Nelson for some quick tips to help keep an air conditioner running smoothly all year long.

  • Clear anything around your unit. “The system can’t breathe,” Nelson explained, if it’s being choked by plants or other nearby objects. “It needs to allow air to come in from the side and up through the top.”
  • Change your indoor filter every 30 days. The box might say every 90 days, but Nelson recommended once a month to keep your AC functioning at top capacity.
  • Switch your system from ‘auto’ to ‘on’ during warm days to circulate air flow. 

If you experience a major system failure, Arlinghaus offers one more service that’s worth knowing about, Nelson said. An Arlinghaus technician can come out to your house and offer a second opinion, just like a doctor might, to help ensure the repairs you’re paying for are necessary and being done correctly.