Preventative maintenance is necessary for a lot of things. You get the oil changed in your car to prevent it from breaking down while you’re driving. You go to the doctor for annual check-ups to make sure things like your cholesterol level and blood pressure are where they should be. These things aren’t fun to schedule and take care of, but you do it anyway because you know it’s necessary for your safety and health.
Your HVAC systems also need preventive maintenance to avoid problems down the road. In order to try and avoid air conditioning repair during a heatwave, you get your AC tuned up in the spring before you start using it heavily. In order to enjoy the holidays with a working furnace, you schedule heating tune-ups in the fall. Or at least–you should be. Let’s go over the link between tune-ups and how they can prevent repairs.
How does AC maintenance prevent costly repairs?
Annual AC tune-ups are absolutely necessary to keep your system running efficiently. Routine maintenance, cleaning, and inspections can prevent costly repairs in the future. In fact, about 70-80% of the ACs we are called on to repair are ones that haven’t received routine maintenance.
During a tune-up, one of our professional HVAC technicians will check for any potential problems to get a jump on things that could become larger issues. For example, a blower fan with screws that are starting to come loose has the potential to become a major, costly issue if the blower fan comes loose and breaks.
What things are checked during AC maintenance?
Here are just some of the things your technician will check during a tune-up.
- Check refrigerant pressure
- Look for refrigerant leaks
- Clean the condensate drainage system
- Clean the indoor and outdoor coils
- Test amperage and airflow
- Check the temperature of the airflow
- Change the air filter
- Tighten connections and screws
- Lubricate motors and moving parts
What are the other benefits of regular tune-ups?
Regular AC maintenance provides numerous other benefits in addition to preventing costly repairs. Here are just some of those benefits.
- Increased efficiency: When your AC is cleaned and oiled, it’s going to run at peak efficiency. And when an AC is efficient, that means lower utility bills every month. This is just one of the ways that maintenance pays for itself.
- Longer system lifespan: The 10-15 year estimated lifespan for air conditioners only applies to systems that receive regular maintenance. It’s been estimated that skipping tune-ups can decrease that lifespan by as much as half! Avoid an early system replacement by scheduling maintenance.
- Keeps equipment under warranty: Is your AC under a warranty? One of the requirements of a warranty is that the system be maintained by a qualified professional. Failure to schedule annual maintenance could result in voiding your warranty on your expensive system.
Established in 1912, Max Sr & Paul Schoenwalder Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning, A Corp. is your trusted resource for reliable air conditioning repairs and maintenance. Reach out to us today.