With the warmer temperatures of the coming summer, many homeowners are making the switch from heating to cooling.  The spring was not consistent in many areas of the country, which means that residential property owners have had to turn their heat on and off a few times, and now will make a direct switch to cooling.

Fortunately, for most people this will be an easy transition.  Knowledge of how to adjust the thermostat is often all that is necessary for the homeowner to activate the cooling system in the home.

In a recent article on the topic, there was a great deal of emphasis placed on using one’s own senses to ensure that the system is working properly – sight, smell, feel, etc.  In many cases, that is all that is needed to gauge the performance of household cooling.  However, it is important to take a more technical approach, and to have the system really checked over on a regular basis.  You can do a walkthrough of the HVAC system between professional assessments.

The thermostat is controlling the HVAC system in residential systems.  Therefore, you can begin your evaluation at the thermostat. Is the thermostat being satisfied by the system? In other words, is the system turning on and shutting off in regular intervals in order to keep the temperature of the space at the desired level?  If the cooling is not shutting off, or is turning on and off more often than usual, it might be reason to consult the professionals.

The next questions to ask are: how long does it take to reach set point? And, what are the conditions outside? If it’s above 82 degrees outside but below 95 than your cooling system should be running at top efficiency, because this is the “sweet spot” for such systems. It should not be struggling to maintain a comfortable temperature of 68-72 degrees inside. If it is failing to do so, then you may have to consider the need for repair, updates, or full upgrades to improve the cooling efficiency of your home.