Was there a spike in your latest energy bills? Is your ambient air suddenly tacky, suffocating, or smelly?
There is only one other question you need to ask yourself if the answer to any of the questions above is yes.
When was the last time you had your annual AC maintenance? If it’s been longer than a year since, it is no wonder why your AC system is struggling.
Here’s everything you need to know about the importance of annual air conditioner maintenance.
Is It Necessary to Service AC Every Year?
Overlooking regular maintenance for your air conditioners may lead to water damage, expensive repairs, inefficiency, and health hazards.
You might inhale dangerous amounts of Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, and Volatile Organic Compounds. Air conditioner maintenance is critical in keeping indoor air quality up to standard.
Annual AC maintenance does not only keep health hazards at bay. Regular maintenance helps reduce energy costs by giving your air conditioner’s components the boost they need to endure erratic climates.
Schedule AC maintenance and regular tune-ups if you want your air conditioner in tip-top shape all year. Read through our article if you want to learn more about maintaining your air conditioning system.
Routine Air Conditioner Maintenance
Your air conditioner is a sophisticated system that provides your home with clean and warm or cool air. Each air conditioning unit has various critical components requiring meticulous care consistently.
If your AC units don’t receive the quality of care they require, you can expect a dip in their performance and efficiency. Yearly maintenance is only the bare minimum frequency of care.
Regular maintenance calls for more than yearly maintenance. It involves more frequent services, such as inspection and cleaning services.
AC Maintenance and Upkeep
Scheduling professional inspections every few months helps save your heating system or air conditioner from seemingly minor concerns.
Dirty air filters may seem harmless right now, but leaving them in your air conditioner for too long may lead to various hazards.
The same goes for dirty or frozen coils. Your air conditioner may suddenly stall or completely break down due to contaminated coils.
A malfunctioning air conditioner can be a nightmare in the middle of summer! Schedule maintenance before summer rolls around to keep your AC unit up to bat.
Air Conditioners Breaking Down During Summer?
Harsh outdoor temperatures can negatively impact your air conditioning units. The outdoor unit can succumb to the sweltering heat and blistering cold if it isn’t performing to the best of its abilities.
You can service your air conditioner whenever it needs AC repair or cleaning. However, like everything in life, timing plays a critical role in comprehensive AC maintenance.
To get the best value out of your air conditioning system, you must protect it from the summer and winter months. Giving your air conditioner a pre-season tune-up helps prepare it against cold weather and frosting.
To better ensure reliable cooling all season long, schedule annual maintenance during Spring.
Pre-Season Tune-Up for Your Air Conditioning System
Want to know the difference between a tune-up and a pre-season tune-up? Besides their timing, there are only minor differences between the two.
Scheduling AC maintenance right before they are expected to do the most work boosts their reliability and efficiency.
It’s like getting your car prepped before going on a long drive; would you rather start your trip with a full tank of gas or rely on your existing fuel levels?
Gassing up your car right before a long drive ensures you get to your destination without any hitches. Otherwise, you might have to stop for gas in the middle of your trip.
“Stopping for gas” sounds easier in the car analogy. However, regarding your air conditioner, it may mean sweltering under the intense summer heat.
It would be best if you didn’t wait for something to break down before giving your air conditioning a tune-up. Remember, AC repair and tune-up services are different.
Air Conditioner Tune-Up Vs. Repair
Tuning up an air conditioner only gives its components a boost, which may include but are not limited to the following:
- Stabilizing indoor and outdoor coils
- Replenishing refrigerant levels
- Cleaning air filters
- Refurbishing electrical connections
- Reconditioning motors
While both tune-ups and repairs may call for replacement parts, repairs specifically cater to broken-down and worn-out air conditioning components. A tune-up, on the other hand, prevents air-conditioning components from breaking down.
Tune-ups are preventive, while repairs are curative measures.
Can I Repair my AC units?
When you need something cured, you go to the doctor. If you are treating mild symptoms such as scrapes and allergies, you go to the store for band-aids or antihistamines.
You can facilitate minor repairs on your HVAC unit, just like throwing a band-aid on minor scrapes. However, you can only treat some bumps and bruises at home.
You might submit yourself to professional care for infections and more severe symptoms. The same goes for your air conditioner.
You can repair minor abrasions on pipes by throwing some electrical tape on them. However, unusual noises, odors, and leaking are best left to the pros.
It is only advisable to dismantle and manage your HVAC system if you have the proper equipment and skills to handle them. That how-to article can only teach you so much. Trust us on this.
Besides conducting inadequate repairs, you may risk causing more damage to your system. You may also risk bodily injuries while performing DIY repairs and after that. Remember, improper repairs may lead to various other hazards, such as mechanical failure in the future.
Expert HVAC contractors undergo comprehensive training and extensive experience, allowing them to facilitate various HVAC problems safely. Call in the pros for any repair and maintenance service to avoid any unnecessary problems.
Preventive Maintenance for Your AC System
Each service aid in the restoration of air conditioners. However, as the old adage goes, “an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.”
That certainly applies to keeping your HVAC system running smoothly. Remember, over time, your air conditioner can collect dirt that leads to leaking, which may impair critical components.
Your air conditioner’s evaporator coil is responsible for facilitating overall heat transfer. While your indoor evaporator and outdoor condenser coils play essential roles in air conditioning, they can succumb to something as simple as dust build-up.
Preventive maintenance helps keep your ducks in a row. It may also uncover minor issues that may later snowball into extensive damages.
Things You Can Do to Lessen AC Maintenance Needs
If you want your family members to stay cool without worrying about money, you must prioritize AC efficiency. Besides regular maintenance, there are things you can do to ease your air conditioner’s burden to keep it functioning efficiently.
Are you guilty of one or more of these habits?
- Spraying excessive amounts of air fresheners.
- Lighting candles every day and night.
- Keeping your pets’ beds around air vents and handlers.
- Closing natural ventilation systems, such as doors and windows, while you mop, dust, or sweep.
- Neglecting maintenance tasks for your HVAC unit.
If you resonate with any of these, your household routine may decrease AC efficiency and increase your need for maintenance service. Here’s what you can do without the help of a professional HVAC technician.
- Avoid spraying deodorizers in enclosed spaces.
- Only light candles for a shorter period and around open ventilation systems.
- Keep your pets’ beds away from your air conditioner’s inlets and outlets.
- Open doors and windows to release any build-up of polluted air out and let fresh air into your home.
- Keep air conditioning units out of the way and away from any hazardous projectiles.
- Ensure proper electrical connections.
- Enlist an annual maintenance program for your AC unit to keep up with maintenance requirements.
If you want a stable and energy-efficient cooling or heating system, enlist the help of a reliable HVAC contractor.
Some homeowners are understandably reluctant to pay an additional cost when nothing needs repair. However, hiring an expert to service your home’s cooling system will cost you less than inefficient HVAC systems during hot weather.
If you are worried about your AC system and its efficiency during summer, hiring an HVAC expert aids in efficiency, helping you save money.
Additionally, you can trust reliable technicians to observe cost efficiency, emphasis on reliable technicians. Only some experts service your air conditioner while prioritizing your comfort and convenience.
Do You Need a Reliable HVAC Technician in Washington?
Do you need help with your heating or cooling system? You can make your life easier by entrusting your AC unit to us!
Need a unit tune-up or maintenance service? We’re there for you if your HVAC problems need expert solutions.
BelRed
BelRed is a prominent HVAC, plumbing, and energy company in Washington.
The prominent company can service any central air conditioning unit, heating mechanism, and multi-split air conditioner in Mukilteo!
We offer Air Conditioning Maintenance to residents all around Washington. If you are looking for efficiency, we also provide Heat Pump Installation and Maintenance Services.
