Portland air conditioning company gives advice ahead of heat wave

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - Portland is expecting to get hot temperatures this weekend. You may want to turn on your air conditioner or you may be in the market for one.

Roth Heating & Cooling says if you plan on getting a unit installed, use the mild weather to your advantage and get it done before the high temps come.

If you’re in the market for a whole-house unit, the average cost is about $7,000 dollars and you should expect new units to last about 10 to 15 years. If you haven’t used your AC in months, and plan to turn it on soon, Roth says to check the filter. If it’s brown, change it out for a new one. Roth also says, don’t turn on your unit full blast for the first time.

“It’s not going to be great for your system. It’s going to overdo things on the electrical side, it’s going to overdo it on the house, and we don’t really know it’s in your ducts,” says Kevin Oberding, Marketing Director for Roth Heating & Cooling.

When you turn it on, keep a look out for unusual noises like rattling. Something could have fallen in your AC systems or there could be rust or a leak. If you encounter those things, call for service. Roth says if your unit is taking a day or longer for the system cycle through, or cools your house quickly, then heats up just as quickly, it may be time for a new unit.

FOX 12 spoke with Patrick Reynolds, who had an AC unit installed in his home five years ago and checks it monthly. But Reynolds had to buy two fans to help keep cool.

“In our house because it’s so large, we get the fan to help blow around the AC in the house, disperse it evenly because some rooms get much colder than others,” says Reynolds.

Roth says to keep the temperature consistent the whole time it’s on and be mindful running other appliances to avoid blowing a fuse. If you are purchasing a unit, make sure the unit size is right for the size of your house

“But if you’re getting a system that is too small for your house, you’re really going notice that the upstairs is a lot warmer than the downstairs and really your AC is just not efficient enough to cool your size of home,” says Oberding.

Roth says they don’t have a long wait time for installation and can install a unit within a couple days.

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