Home Air Conditioner Maintenance Is a Must-Have Service:
What Your Contractor Should Do
Keeping your air conditioner running reliably and efficiently requires regular maintenance and attention. Without expert maintenance, your cooling system is more likely to break down when the stresses of summer push it beyond its ability to function. Regular preventive maintenance keeps your system running as it should
and allows an expert to find and fix small problems before they get worse. Preventive inspection and maintenance lets a trained HVAC professional
evaluate the condition of your system and make changes, adjustments, and repairs that will sustain the unit’s performance. If any parts of your air conditioner are wearing out sooner than they should, your technician can locate the source of the wear and stop it. Preventive maintenance also pays off financially; regular tune-ups can keep an air conditioner operating at up to 95 percent efficiency, even after several seasons. Your technician will inspect your system and complete maintenance tasks. Those tasks may include:
• Checking and filling the refrigerant and checking for leaks • Inspecting, cleaning, and tightening electrical connections • Inspecting and sealing ducts to prevent air and energy leaks • Lubricating moving parts, including fans and motors • Inspecting belts for tightness and condition • Inspecting drain pans and condensate drains and keeping them clean • Checking and cleaning condenser and evaporator coils • Checking and calibrating the thermostat if necessary • Testing overall system operation and making necessary adjustments
You can do some maintenance tasks yourself, such as:
• Cleaning the outdoor condenser and removing accumulated grass, leaves, sticks, and other material from vents
• Trimming trees, grass, bushes, and other vegetation away from the unit to provide clearance for airflow
• Cleaning indoor vents and registers and clearing any blockages • Changing filters (Check monthly, and change if needed; otherwise, change every three months or so.)
By: Theo Etzel, CEO of Conditioned Air
Theo is a Stetson University graduate in economics and finance and a native south Floridian. He and his wife, Kim, live in Naples and raised their family here. Theo is also on the Board of Encore National Bank.
For more information about air conditioners and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource Guide at
www.conditionedair.com.
BTG | home matters
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