Air-conditioning is an essential part of living a comfortable life during the warm season of late spring through summer. Working at its peak efficiency, your air conditioner can provide a cool interior environment, along with breathable air, free of allergens and dust.
Following a few simple maintenance tips, you can eliminate many of the expensive air conditioning repairs that will be needed should your A/C breaks down. While most machines will eventually die out or become dysfunctional, the improper maintenance of your air conditioner will certainly accelerate your AC’s demise. Performing minimal maintenance on your unit can eliminate a problem later on.
Extensive Wear and Tear
Just because your air conditioner seemed to work effectively last year, it does not mean it can work properly this year. As with any mechanical device, your air conditioner is continually subjected to intensive wear and tear especially during the summer months while it works nearly round-the-clock. Scheduling seasonal air conditioning maintenance at the beginning of the warm season is a way to ensure you’re A/C is running at optimal level.
Dirty or Clogged Coils
By not properly maintaining your air conditioner or forgetting to change the filters as scheduled, the coils that transfer colder air into your home can become dirty and clogged. This can reduce the efficiency of your air conditioner, making it work harder and using more energy to attempt to work properly. If left in a dirty state the inefficient coils can easily cause other problems including a complete fan or compressor failure, which could be extremely expensive to repair.
Refrigerant Levels
The only way your air conditioner can run properly, is to have optimal levels of its Freon refrigerant. While the refrigerant levels are set at optimal levels during installation, any drop is usually an indication of a leak. Adding more refrigerant at this point will only be a short temporary fix, if at all, and could cause further damage to the unit. By law, certified HVAC professional needs to drain the refrigerant from the system, repair the leak and fill it back up to its optimal levels.
Heat Sensors
Erratic behavior of your air conditioning system is usually a result of a problem with its heat sensor. The sensor measures the heat temperatures of the air that blows past the evaporator coil. A malfunctioning heat sensor typically causes your air conditioner to cycle on and off or shut down entirely. A qualified professional can ensure that your heat sensor is operating properly. They will check to make sure the sensor is correct location so it can accurately read the temperature of the air passing by the evaporator coil.
Drainage Problems
Anytime it is extremely humid outside, a significant amount of condensation builds up on the coils of your air conditioner. Most air-conditioners inside your home will have a drain line that takes away all condensation build up in the air conditioning pan underneath your unit. At times however the drain can become clogged requiring a professional to clear it out so the unit operates properly without causing water damage to the home.
Electrical Controls
If your air conditioner is undersized, or oversized, it might continually turn on and off through frequent cycles to help maintain the temperature of your home. Over time, the constant switching on and off can wear out the compressor & controls. Additionally, even if your air conditioner is the optimal size for your home, wires and other metals can easily corrode causing serious issues to the electrical system of your unit. A qualified professional can change the wiring system and get your air conditioning unit back up and running properly.
What You Can Do
Doing your part in keeping your air-conditioning unit well-maintained is an important step in ensuring it is operating effectively. Replace your air conditioner filter frequently (check or replace it once a month). Keeping a quality scheduled replacement of your filters during the summer months will reduce or eliminate the circulation of dust and allergens throughout your home.
Calling a Professional
Each summer season, you should have your air-conditioning unit inspected, tuned and clean by professional HVAC Company. This will ensure the safety controls are operating correctly; the refrigerant levels are optimized and free of any leaks of Freon refrigerant. The professional will check the exterior coils and clean them if necessary. They will also calibrate your thermostat and check for proper airflow and temperature.
And Services has an excellent air conditioning maintenance program for homeowners throughout the Tampa, Clearwater, Brandon FL, and surrounding areas. Call us today for more information.
