Getting your air conditioner ready for the cooling season increases its efficiency, adds to its longevity, and helps you avoid a breakdown when you most need cooling. You can do some of the routine maintenance yourself, but other tasks require a licensed HVAC contractor to execute.
Do-it-yourself maintenance tasks include:
- Changing or cleaning the air filter. The air filter is one of the most important parts of your air conditioning system. A dirty filter slows the airflow through the A/C, which drives up energy bills. As the filter gets dirtier, some of the dust lands on system components, which slows the cooling process, too. Unwanted airborne particulates can also deposit themselves in your ductwork and circulate in your home with the conditioned air.
- Clearing away vegetation from the outdoor condenser. The condenser needs sufficient space around it to allow for plenty of airflow. When leaves, weeds or brush block the airflow through the condenser, it takes longer for the refrigerant to cool. It’s also a good idea to gently hose off the condenser’s coil and fins to remove any dust or grass clippings.
Professional maintenance tasks include:
- Checking refrigerant level. Too much or too little refrigerant in the system will make the air conditioner run less efficiently, and can even cause it to stop altogether.
- Inspecting the ductwork system. Duct leaks, kinks or other problems lower cooling (and heating) efficiency.
- Inspecting the electrical components, tightening and cleaning, if necessary. The contractor may apply nonconductive coatings to the components to increase efficiency. Loose or dirty electrical parts waste electricity and create heat.
- Lubricating the motor. Many motors require routine oiling to run efficiently. The HVAC technician also will adjust the belt tension.
- Cleaning the evaporator coil. Removing the dust from the evaporator coil speeds the heat exchange process. A dirty coil in the blower could cause your air conditioning system to run longer, and can make it freeze over if the dust gets too thick.
If you would like more information about maintaining your air conditioner, please contact us at Marsh Heating & Air Conditioning. We’ve provided quality HVAC services in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area since 1974.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air conditioner maintenance and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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