Summer is right around the corner here in Western, New York, and we all know what that means. Uncomfortable nights spent tossing and turning. That is if you either don't have AC or worse yet you do, but its broken. Avoid the later with a simple clean and check. As the old adage goes an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Why do in need to have my AC checked?
Energy efficiency, everybody is talking about it these days. But its true an AC that has been serviced regularly is on average 30% more efficient than the same unit of the same age that has had no routine Maintenace done on it.
It extends the life of your Air Conditioning unit. When it is running at peak performance it runs less often and does not labor as hard to achieve your comfort goals. Which translates to less fatigue and wear and tear on your equipment leading to a much longer life on average.
Warrantee!!! Thats right most manufactures require annual routine maintenance be done by a professional technician in order to maintain you warrantee.
Better for the environment. If your AC is running at peak performance it is using the least amount of energy it can to provide you with a cool comfortable home. Less energy = better for the environment.
Less expensive repair. Most problems with Air Conditioning systems are simple and cheap to fix if they are caught early and don't lead to catastrophic failures of main parts due to over working. IE. bad capacitor ($60-$120) blown compressor due to bad capacitor ($1200-$1500) And maybe a complete replacement of the outdoor condenser depending on severity of the burn out.
Helps prevent the loss of cooling. Murphy is still alive and kicking, and he loves to take up residence in your AC on the hottest days in July. The best deterrent for him though is an annual clean and check. He really hates AC technicians and tends to vacate the system if they do a good clean and check.
Better Air quality. A good clean and check can help to uncover any health concerns such as mold development in duct work and on AC coils. It can help to make sure your Air filters are in good shape and doing their jobs properly.
Peace of Mind! Although no company or technician can guarantee that nothing will go wrong with your system. They can get a good feel for your system and with reasonable certainty get you set up for a season with no interruptions and comfort your way.
What to expect during a Clean and check!
The Technician to completely clean the outdoor condenser unit. They should take off the covers if necessary and rinse (in some cases scrub the fins to clean)
They will take pressures of the refrigerate with their gauges to determine if the system has enough refrigerant.
They should take readings on the capacitor and contactor as well as do an amp draw on the compressor.
They would do a visual check of the line set and electrical.
They will do a visual inspection of the indoor coil for mold or mildew.
They will replace the batteries in your thermostat.
They will then do anything that is system specific if needed.
Finally, they should provide you with an overall condition report. And a course of action should anything else need to be done.