When you plan to have a big family gathering at your home in the summer, there are many factors that you need to consider in the process. However, one that you may not immediately think of is whether or not your air conditioning system is ready to handle your summer guests. After all, there will be additional heat in your home just from so many warm bodies being inside and it is likely that there will be a great deal more movement in and out of your house (i.e. doors opening and closing a lot, letting heat in) while you have so many guests. Get to know some of the steps that you can take to make sure your air conditioner is ready for company and remains functioning throughout your gatherings.

If You Haven't Used Your Air Conditioning Yet, Fire It Up

The first step to take when making sure your air conditioner will work for your summer gatherings is to test it on a "normal" summer day in your home. If you are one of those people who do not often use your air conditioning until absolutely necessary, get your a/c going a few weeks before the big gathering to make sure it is functioning well. Set it to the coolest temperature you would run it for company and see how everything runs.

Should you notice any issues like certain rooms that just do not seem to be getting enough cool air (especially guest bedrooms), or if your air conditioner is making any strange noises, these would be signs that you should call in a residential HVAC repair specialist as soon as possible to work out any kinks in your system before your company arrives. Doing this a few weeks in advance gives you plenty of time to get the repairs you need to your a/c unit itself or your ductwork complete without your company even knowing.

Have Your Air Conditioning Inspected Even If All Is Well

Even if you fire up your air conditioning system (or have been running it for yourself) and everything seems fine, it would be an excellent idea to have your air conditioning system inspected by an expert before your company arrives. Because you are not an HVAC expert yourself, you may not notice early warning signs that your air conditioning is struggling or may be failing you.

A professional inspection will look for any issues with both your indoor and outdoor a/c components. They can also change your air filter to improve the air quality in your home and make sure your air conditioning ducts and vents are clear and unobstructed.

Be Prepared In Case The A/C Fails You

With all of these preparations, there is still a chance that you will experience a/c trouble when your company is at your home. In case your a/c fails you, you will want to have back-up plans in place.

Be sure that you have plenty of fans throughout your house that can circulate air and help give the illusion that it is cooler in your home than it is, even without air conditioning. Also, you may want to consider having small room air conditioners around just in case.

These room air conditioners often come with everything you need to be able to vent them out of a window and will help to keep important rooms or areas cool. Such air conditioners will also be useful if you have some guest bedrooms that are hotter than others even with air conditioning (like rooms located above a garage).

Now that you know a few of the steps that you can take to make sure your air conditioner is ready for your summer company and gatherings, you can get started as soon as possible and make sure you keep your guests cool and comfortable when they visit your home.