Don’t Let The Dust Settle Over the Cooler Months

During the cooler months in Florida, you may not need to rely as much on your air conditioner, but this does not mean you should forego maintenance. Air conditioner repair can be expensive and even when temperatures are low, not having a working air conditioner can make life uncomfortable or in extreme cases, deadly. Here are some tips on how to keep your air conditioner from needing serious repair.

Cleaning your Filters
Filters clogged with dust block airflow and reduce the efficiency of your air conditioner. If too much dust and dirt builds up, air moving through the filter may force dirt into the evaporator coil. This will reduce the machine’s efficiency to absorb heat. By cleaning and/or replacing your filters, you will not only lower your energy consumption by as much as 15%, but you will also save on costly electric bills. Be sure to change or clean your filters every 1-2 months. You should consider changing them more frequently if your air conditioner is in use year-round, have pets, and if you live in a place that accumulates a lot of dust.

Check Your Evaporator Coil
Even if you clean your filters regularly, your evaporator coil will still collect dirt over time. Therefore, you should have your coil cleaned every year or so to make sure that dust and dirt does not cut the efficiency of your air conditioning by blocking air flow and reducing the ability to absorb heat. Outdoor coils collect much more dirt and may need to be checked more frequently. If you have an outdoor coil, leaves, debris from lawn mowers and your dryer vents may cause filth to accumulate on your coil. When you can, try to avoid having these things near your air conditioning. Trimming back trees so that the branches are two feet from the air conditioning unit is a big help to keeping your coil clean.

Make Sure Coil Fins are Not Bent
Bent coil fins block air flow and reduce the efficiency of your air conditioner. To fix this, you might consider obtaining a “fin comb” to bend the fins back.

Regularly Clean Your Condensate Drain Lines
Your AC’s condensate drain lines should be cleaned regularly to prevent clogging. Clogged drains do not allow an air conditioning unit to reduce humidity. This may not seem like a big deal, but without reducing the humidity, your carpets and walls may become discolored and the excess moisture may allow mold to grow.

When to Hire a Professional
If your air conditioning needs repair and you need to hire a professional, here are some of the things they will do:

Check the refrigerant – They will check to see if it is too high or too low. They will then test for leaks if the refrigerant is too low or they will remove any that must be taken from the unit safely and securely, instead of illegally releasing it into the atmosphere.

Inspection – A trained technician will check for wear as well as check the electrical terminals for clean connections. They may also add a non-conductive coating to the system. They will also make sure that air flows properly through the system. They will also check the thermostat to make sure that it measures temperatures accurately.

Regular maintenance on your AC unit is a must here in Florida that’s why Art Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electric offers affordable Preventative Maintenance Programs. Our Service Partner Plans gives you peace of mind that your AC is running smoothly with annual maintenance visits and a 10% discount on all repairs if you ever need them. Give us a call today to find out more about our Service Partner Plan.