Your air conditioner is a vital component of your home-comfort system. Routine air conditioner maintenance is essential to ensure maximum efficiency and to extend the life of your cooling equipment.
When you hire an HVAC contractor to service your A/C, comprehensive air conditioner maintenance should always include the following:
- Refrigerant levels – A professional HVAC contractor will be sure to check the refrigerant level of your cooling equipment. Too much or too little refrigerant will cause your compressor to be overworked, which reduces overall efficiency and shortens your equipment’s life span.
- Drain check – If your air conditioner has dirty or obstructed condensate drains, you may experience problems with excess moisture. This can cause water damage, lead to mold growth and reduce home comfort.
- Coil cleaning – Your HVAC expert should always clean the indoor evaporator coils and outdoor condenser coils. Without a cleaning, debris and dirt can accumulate, reducing efficiency.
- Moving parts – All moving parts of your air conditioning system should be lubricated. This will keep your cooling equipment working smoothly and keep it from becoming overworked.
- Electrical inspection – Make sure that your technician gives the electrical coils, wiring and connections of your A/C a once-over. A pitted contactor can cause the heart of your system, the compressor, to fail prematurely. This is an important part of ensuring the safety and efficiency of your air conditioner.
- Air filters – During air conditioner maintenance, your contractor should change or clean the air filters. More often than not, a dirty filter is the culprit of an ineffective cooling system. This is a job you can do yourself, too, but it doesn’t hurt to ask your technician whether you’re using the right type of filter.
- System test – Be sure that your HVAC technician performs a test of your air conditioner. He should turn on your cooling system in order to verify all operating functions. This will include the start-up cycle and shut-down controls.
- Ductwork check – Leaky ductwork is another major cause of ineffective cooling systems. Leaky ducts reduce the efficiency of your system and can reduce indoor air quality. A technician can also tell you whether your ducts need cleaning.
For more expert advice on air conditioner maintenance and other matters related to home comfort, please contact us at Climate Control Company.We have been serving Western Colorado since 1956.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about air conditioner maintenance and other HVAC topics, please visit our website.
Climate Control Company services Aspen, Vail and the surrounding Western slope communities in Colorado.
