Just like any car, your home HVAC system needs routine maintenance. Without staying on top of routine maintenance on your car including oil changes, tire rotations, changing brake pads, etc., your car wouldn’t live that long. The same holds true for your air conditioner and heat pump, they won’t function at optimal performance or efficiency and will end up costing you a lot of money in the long run. An air conditioner is a very sturdy piece of technology. It is built to resist heavy use and keep ongoing. This is preferable in many respects, but it might result in complacency about maintenance.
Consequences of Not Properly Maintaining Your HVAC System
Without regular maintenance, an air conditioner relinquishes about 5% of its original efficiency for each year of operation. This means that the 12 SEER air conditioner that you got just a few years ago can be performing like a 9 SEER unit now! The good news is that you can gain back some of that lost efficiency with regularly scheduled maintenance. Studies have illustrated that with regular tune-ups an air conditioner will preserve up to 95% of its original efficiency. This means that the price of a semiannual tune-up is replenished very quickly in savings on your monthly energy bill and decreased repair costs. A professionally serviced air conditioner will also do a better job of dehumidifying your home.
One of the most crucial things to check is the refrigerant level in the air conditioner. A system that is only 10% low on coolant will cost nearly 20% more to operate! The Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) encourages that coolant levels be examined every year.
Things You Can Do to Help Maintain Your HVAC System
There are some things along with yearly tune-ups that you can do to help ensure a high level of comfort and ideal system operation.
- Buy quality air filters and replace them on a regular basis.
- Keep sticks and other materials away from the outdoor unit of your air conditioner.
- Try not to close supply air outlets in your house. In almost all cases, closing supply outlets is harmful to the function of the overall system.
What Kind of Advantages Can You Expect From Having Your Air Conditioner Maintained by a Professional?
All equipment, even the most dependable, requires routine maintenance. Modern equipment like today’s air conditioners benefits in different ways from semiannual maintenance.
- Air conditioners recover much of their lost efficiency.
- They are less likely to experience a severe breakdown.
- They have an extended life span.
- They operate for less money.
- They are able to keep you more comfortable, throughout the year.
What Are You Waiting For? Arrange Your Tune-up Now and Start Saving Today!
If you haven’t scheduled routine maintenance on your air conditioner or furnace, there has never been a better time than right now.
Join our Comfort Club to have your HVAC system serviced twice a year. Patrick's schedules and performs our unprecedented 15-Point Air Conditioning Tune-Up before peak energy usage in the summer, and our 26-Point Heating Tune-Up before peak energy usage in the winter, to help keep you cool all summer and warm all winter! With hassle-free scheduling and lightning-fast, five-star service guaranteed, you can’t go wrong.