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99th CES offers AC maintenance tips

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jason Couillard
  • 99th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. --  Summer is almost here and to help beat the heat, air conditioning units will be turned on to ensure a comfortable summer experience.

Not too many people are aware that AC system maintenance is paramount to efficient operation.

"Keeping your residence clean and replacing your air filters every three to four weeks goes a long way to ensuing [ensuring] efficient and reliable operation from you're AC system," said James Romero, 99th Civil Engineer Squadron heating, ventilation, air conditioning and mechanical control systems foreman.

According to the Energy.gov website, an air conditioners filters, coils and fins require regular maintenance for the unit to function efficiently throughout its years of service. Neglecting necessary maintenance ensures a steady decline in air conditioning performance while energy use steadily increases.

"Another area of interest is optimizing your AC system's operation is temperature set points. A comfort cooling AC system is technically considered a high temperature refrigeration system. It is not designed or intended to be operated at temperatures below 68 F," Romero said. "During peak load operating conditions, the system cannot reach such a low temperature and therefore the systems run times are excessive. This is costly, both in terms of operating cost and in mechanical damage caused to the system."

By maintaining a clean AC system and proper temperature set points, people will not have to spend large amounts of money on their electric bill or on maintenance costs. If preventative maintenance recommendations are not followed, expensive and time consuming repairs should be expected.

Temperature set points help ensure that you are getting the most out of your AC unit, while being cost effective.

According to the Nevada Energy Website's energy tips, during the warm months, the thermostat should be set to 78 F to 80 F when home, and five to 10 degrees warmer at night or when you're not home.

"We can all reduce our carbon footprint by ensuring that our AC systems are properly maintained and by following the recommended set points of 80 F in the summer and 68 F in the winter," Romero said.

For additional information about your AC unit, contact 99th CES customer service at 702-652-7785