Preventative maintenance is crucial to keeping your HVAC system running at optimal levels in your Mooresville, NC, home. No matter how new or high-quality your air conditioner is, you’ll need regular maintenance to keep it going. Our experts recommend scheduling this service once a year to continue enjoying all the benefits that routine maintenance provides. Without it, you may find yourself sweating out the summer heat in misery.
Benefits of Regular AC Maintenance
Routine preventative maintenance for your air conditioner offers numerous benefits that make the service more than worthwhile. Through this annual maintenance and inspection, you’ll work with an expert HVAC technician who inspects and assesses your equipment to identify potential problems. The technician will also prepare your machine for the upcoming season, ensuring comfort inside your home all summer and beyond.
Greater Energy Efficiency
Your air conditioner has dozens of individual parts and components. When parts become damaged or worn out over time, you lose efficiency. During inspection, your technician will look for worn parts and recommend replacements to continue running at energy-efficient levels.
Lower Utility Bills
The more energy-efficient your air conditioner is, the less electricity you consume. With lower energy consumption come lower utility bills.
Lower Risk of Unexpected Breakdowns
By identifying worn parts early, your technician can reduce your chances of unexpected breakdowns. When a damaged or excessively worn part is found during inspection and maintenance, the technician can replace that part before it fails. This keeps your air conditioner running the rest of the season without needing repairs.
Decreased Repair Bills
Along with the lowered risk of unexpected breakdowns, maintenance can decrease repair costs. When you must call for service, you may face a separate service charge for an emergency repair. When one part fails, it could cause damage to other components, creating a costly mess.
Extend the Lifespan of the AC
When your air conditioner runs efficiently, it doesn’t have to work as hard. This lower workload helps extend the lifespan of the unit by putting less stress on each of the parts of the machine.
Better Indoor Air Quality
A clean machine leads to better overall indoor air quality. Dust and particles from your home and outdoors circulate through your HVAC system. Cleaning the air conditioner and the air filters helps keep these contaminants out of the air you breathe.
Tasks for the Homeowner
Aside from the checklist your technician goes through, there are a couple of small steps that you, as a homeowner, should complete more regularly. Your HVAC system has air filters that block dust and allergens. These filters should be changed at least once every three months. Your air conditioner’s outside unit takes a beating from the weather throughout the year. Occasionally wipe down the outside of the unit, taking care not to put water directly into the unit. Remove debris that may be sitting atop the machine and ensure a two-foot clearance on all sides of your air conditioner.
What Happens During Inspection and Maintenance?
Inspection and maintenance of your air conditioner have many steps. Your technician will follow a detailed checklist to ensure that every part of your unit has been inspected, assessed, and is ready to run.
Inspect Mechanical Parts and Components
A visual inspection of the many parts and components of your air conditioner helps the technician identify any potential issues that could affect the efficiency and safety of your unit. This may include the blower motor, coils, belts and pulleys, and other parts.
Check Electrical Connections and Wiring
Electricity provides power to your air conditioner. The technician will inspect the power cords and wiring, ensuring they are tight and free of damage. Frayed wires and loose connections can cause electrical shock or fire and may lead to the failure of your air conditioner. Never attempt to handle electrical components yourself due to the high risk of injury they pose when not handled correctly.
Lubricate Moving Parts
Some moving parts inside your air conditioner require lubrication to prevent excessive damage. As the parts move, friction can wear them out. Lubrication helps them move easier and lowers the damage friction may cause.
Clean Condensate Drain
Your AC creates moisture when it cools the air. This moisture runs off the machine in the form of water and drains through the condensate drain. The technician will check this drain and clear it of any debris and blockages. When water fails to move away from the machine, that water could damage the components of your AC.
Listen for Strange Noises
Your technician will power your AC on and listen for anything out of the ordinary. There should be little noise coming from your unit aside from a slight mechanical whir as the fan moves. Loud banging and clanging noises should be investigated, and repairs made, to avoid damage to your machine.
Check for Smells
You should never smell anything when your air conditioner is running. If the technician notes any strange odors coming from the machine or your vents, they will inspect the unit to find the cause of the smell and make repairs before your AC can be used. You should assess for odd smells throughout the cooling season as well.
Check Refrigerant
Refrigerant is used in your air conditioner to create the cold air that blows through your vents. The technician will check the refrigerant level in your unit and top it off if needed. If your AC is extremely low on refrigerant, it could indicate a leak. Refrigerant can be dangerous to your health if you aren’t trained in how to handle it, so always leave this to a professional.
Assess Ductwork
If you have uneven or insufficient cooling, you may have an obstruction or leak in the ductwork. The technician can inspect your ducts, looking for cracks, disconnected sections, and blockages. If you have a massive clog in the ducts, you may need professional duct cleaning.
Calibrate or Upgrade Thermostat
The temperature inside your home should match what is displayed on the thermostat. If it does not, the technician can calibrate your thermostat to provide greater home comfort and efficiency. Programmable and smart thermostats offer more intuitive and effortless control of your air conditioner. If you have an older thermostat and would like to upgrade, your technician can do this for you.
At Evergreen Heating & Air LLC, our customers’ safety and comfort are a top priority to us. We offer comprehensive and detailed annual maintenance for your HVAC system. With many brands and models to choose from, we can equip your home with a new furnace, air conditioner, mini-split, or heat pump. We also offer maintenance and repairs on all heating and cooling machines. With an emphasis on comfort, we provide humidifiers, dehumidifiers, and air purifiers. Count on us for all your heating, cooling, and air quality needs.
Ready to schedule your AC inspection and maintenance with the best technicians in Mooresville? Call the pros at Evergreen Heating & Air LLC today and we’ll give you in-depth, reliable service.
