With summer on its way, it’s important to make sure your air conditioner is in top shape. There are a number of things you can do yourself to help your A/C, but one of the best moves you can make is to schedule annual maintenance.
Having Your Air Conditioner Serviced
Maintenance helps keep your air conditioner running efficiently, and prevents serious problems from developing in the future. Maintenance should be performed annually, and spring is the best time to have it done. That way, your system will be ready for summer by the time the cooling season gets into full swing. When you hire someone to service your air conditioner, they should thoroughly check your entire system, including undertaking the following:
- Check the refrigerant levels.
- Test for refrigerant leaks and capture any refrigerant that has to be removed from the system.
- Oil the motor and check all belts for tightness and wear.
- Measure air flow through the evaporator coil.
- Inspect electric terminals, tighten and clean connections and, if necessary, apply a non-conductive coating.
- Check for the right electric control sequence so that your heating and cooling systems cannot operate at the same time.
- Make sure your thermostat is accurate.
Things You Can Do Yourself
In addition to (but not instead of) annual maintenance, there are a number of things you can do yourself to boost efficiency and increase the lifespan of your air conditioner.
- Change the air filters regularly: check them once a month and change them at least every three months during the cooling season. Dirty filters reduce efficiency, allow dust into your air conditioner and reduce your indoor air quality.
- Check your air conditioner coils annually, and clean them if they are dirty.
- At the beginning of the cooling season, if you’re using room air conditioners, check the seal between your air conditioners and the window frames.
To schedule an appointment to get your air conditioner ready for late spring and summer, or to learn more about annual maintenance, contact Ace Hardware Home Services, Inc. We’ve been serving the Dayton area since 1978
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about getting ready for summer and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Ace Hardware Home Services services the Ohio’s Miami Valley. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!
| Maintenance Man image via Shutterstock |
