“Yahoo!” Not the search engine, but what most people say – or think – just before heading off for a well-deserved vacation. Then again, you always get more bang for your ”yahoo” when you take all pre-travel precautions to ensure your home suffers no damage or harm in your absence.
Take, for example, your central AC system. Leave it on? Turn it off? Yikes, what a dilemma. Not really – as you’re about to see.
Keep Your AC System Running
By removing excess humidity, your AC system is doubly effective at keeping your home nice and cool. So, turning it off not only keeps the cool air away, but allows indoor humidity to do its worst without any checks or balances.
For optimum comfort and the health of your home, you want to keep indoor humidity levels at 50% or under. It’s simple to take ongoing readings with a hygrometer – an effective and affordable tool you can find at any retail home center.
Adjust the Thermostat
To prevent your house from heating up like an oven, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) recommends setting your thermostat at 85 before setting sail for your vacation adventure. It won’t take that long to cool things off once you return, and you’ll save a ton of energy while you’re gone.
Give Your AC System a Break
Don’t make your system do all the work during your time away. First, draw the curtains and shades, disconnect non-essential electronics, and clean or replace your AC filter.
Go Wi-Fi
Even by following each of the above precautions, you can’t be sure that your AC system doesn’t stop working. Then again, you CAN be sure by replacing your thermostat with a programmable model with a Wi-Fi accessible app. That way you can keep an eye on things from afar and adjust as you see fit.
AC Preventative Maintenance
If it’s been a year or longer since your AC system was last cleaned and inspected, contact Optimum Air today for service. That way, you can feel even more confident that all will be well during your absence until and after you return.
