Air Conditioner Clean & Check
You probably don’t think much about your home’s air conditioner until there’s a problem. By that time, you are stranded in a sweltering house, waiting for an AC repair technician to arrive and get your system working again. Long-term homeowners realize that regular AC tune-up is well worth the investment.
If you have been putting off arranging your annual AC tune-up, now is the time to do it. A proper AC clean & check, similar to oil changes, is not optional or extra.
Benefits of annual AC tune-up
AC tune-up (also known as AC check & clean) is more critical than you might think. Here are a few reasons why you should strongly consider contacting a local professional and having your system inspected this spring.
Save money and energy
Have you noticed that your electricity bills have been rising like the heat outside this summer? There’s a direct link between delaying your AC tune-up and increased energy bills.
Without regular maintenance, your air conditioner will gradually lose efficiency and effectiveness.
Increased costs from energy use can result from even a minor dropoff in efficiency. Think about it for a second: During the warmest, most humid days of the year, you leave your air conditioner running practically nonstop. Anywhere from a 5-10% drop in efficiency each hour translates to higher energy costs and diminished cooling performance.
When all is said and done, your AC tune-up could end up paying for itself!
Increase comfort
So far, we have mostly discussed money. But your comfort is also just as important. After all, isn’t it the main reason why you run your AC in the first place? Without regular maintenance, your air conditioner is more likely to work inconsistently, chill your home slowly, or even experience such issues as short-cycling, which happens when your AC continuously turns itself off and on because it can’t sustain the present temperature in your home.
Many of us cannot put a figure on the sense of cool air blowing out of the vents on a hot and humid summer night.
Given the low cost of an AC tune-up, having a licensed and well-trained professional come out to ensure your system is operating at peak efficiency is critical.
Improve the quality of your indoor air
We have already addressed how dust accumulation inside your system can have a detrimental impact on your comfort and energy bills. Another factor is the quality of your indoor air. Dust, grime, and pollutants can clog your air filter, accumulate in your air ducts, and extend the spring allergy season into the summer.
Indoor Air Quality, sometimes known as “IAQ,” is imperative. According to many experts, indoor air quality is typically far worse than outdoor air quality. Time is a factor; considering how much more of our lives are spent indoors than outside, poor indoor air quality would have a greater impact.
An AC tune-up can help with dust and allergen reduction at home, which is great news for anyone who suffers from respiratory issues due to dust or allergies. Expert help is worth considering if you want to boost the overall IAQ of your residence. Cleaning the ducts that carry the air through your home is also a good idea.
Maintain your warranty
Here is something you probably didn’t know: your new air conditioner comes with a manufacturer’s warranty.
While the small print differs from system to system, most of these warranties cover crucial AC components, such as the compressor, for years after installation. This protects you from the chance of a faulty or malfunctioning component bricking the system.
As you might expect, there is a catch: most of these manufacturers’ warranties require you to have an annual professional AC tune-up in order to keep the coverage alive. If you skip a year, you may lose your normally free warranty coverage.
From the manufacturers’ perspective, they only want to cover systems that are properly cared for by the homeowner (via a professional HVAC technician). From your perspective, you should do everything in your power to keep your warranty coverage—it could end up saving you thousands of dollars in the long run!
Extend your system lifespan
Yes, an AC tune-up is expensive. What is much more expensive? Purchasing a new air conditioner. As a homeowner, your goal should be to get as many years out of your AC unit as possible before having to replace it.
Most air conditioners have a lifespan of 12-20 years. Why such a broad range? Well, part of it has to do with upkeep. A system that has accumulated years of dust and dirt must work harder, resulting in increased wear and tear.
Furthermore, faulty parts put the entire air conditioner at risk of being harmed. An AC tune-up won’t make your system last forever (nothing will!), but it will improve its chances of lasting longer.
Returning to our earlier automobile analogy, how long do you think your car will last without a tune-up or an oil change? Probably not many.
Be that as it may, many homeowners are amazed when their air conditioner fails after a decade, even though they never planned preventative maintenance. AC Tune-ups are a necessity.
It is not only preventative maintenance that is vital. Every year that your air conditioner goes without a tune-up, it has to work harder and harder to keep your home cool. That means more runtime, wear, and tear, and energy consumed. All of this adds up to “mileage” on your air conditioner.
Checklist of AC Tune-Up Services
- Start unit
- Inspect the flue & diverter
- Oil motors
- Check fan belts
- Check fan blade
- Check freon level
- Check amperage draw
- Check low-side pressure
- Check high-side pressure
- Check temperature draw
- Check temperature drop
- Check electrical connections
- Check thermostat
- Calibrate thermostat
- Check the hot water tank
- Clean air conditioner
- Remove all debris from the unit
- Inspect furnace filter
- Inspect furnace blower
- Oil blower if necessary
- Check the final AC temp from the supply register
- Make final operation test
Annual maintenance plays an important role in keeping your AC unit running at top efficiency, especially when you need it the most. Plus, a well-running air conditioner decreases energy consumption and associated costs.
Backed by the Eco Temp HVAC guarantee, our AC tune-up will keep you cool and comfortable this summer!
