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When you make AC maintenance a priority, you invest in a long service life from your air conditioner. Moreover, you also have lower repair and utility bills. Regular AC maintenance goes a long way to keeping you cool in the South Florida heat.
Here, we’re going to spill the beans on a couple of different AC maintenance tips.
To keep your AC running smoothly, both the interior and exterior units of your AC will need to be cleaned regularly. You’ll be surprised at the positive effect a thorough cleaning will have on your air conditioner’s performance.
The main sections of your air conditioner that need to be cleaned are:
The professional HVAC technicians at Art Plumbing, Air Conditioning & Electric have specialized tools that enable them to thoroughly clean all the parts of your air conditioner quickly and efficiently.
Here are the three main contributors to a dirty air conditioning system:
One of the main reasons we use air conditioners, besides the fact that they keep us cool, is their ability to extract dust and impurities from the air we breathe, and improve our indoor air quality. The dust that is removed from the air doesn’t only clog up the AC filter, it also gets into all parts of your air conditioner and will limit its cooling ability over time.
If you have pets, you know how their hair can get everywhere, and how much dirt they bring in from outside by a glance at your floor! That’s not to mention what they contribute to the air inside your home. Pet dander is a big source of allergies for people and a huge culprit for clogs and blockages in air conditioners.
Your outdoor AC unit is particularly vulnerable to getting dirty by garden debris such as twigs, leaves, sand, and dirt. Wind blows debris that gather around your air conditioning unit and blow into it. Regularly clearing debris out of your AC will do wonders for its performance and increase its lifespan.
Did you know that there are other adjustments that you can make that will help your AC perform at its best even in blistering temperatures? Unlike cleaning, these aren’t things that you will have to worry about regularly, but rather one-time changes that will have a big impact.
An air conditioning unit that is shaded runs up to 10% more efficiently than a unit in the sun, according to the U.S. Department of Energy!
Providing shade for your air conditioner’s outdoor condenser unit cools the air around the unit down by a few degrees compared to if it were standing in direct sunlight. The AC draws cooler air in, which means it doesn’t have to work as hard to cool down the air it blows back inside.
If you’re having a new air conditioner installed, the HVAC technician can place the unit in a large, cool, shaded location. However, if you already have an AC, there are options for creating shade around it. Always remember, in the quest for shade, make sure you don’t block off air flow to the AC unit.
Erecting an awning over the outdoor AC unit is a good way to lower the temperature of the air that your AC will be drawing in.
Trees are a fantastic way to create a cooler environment for your air conditioning unit. Trees provide shade, cool the ground around the AC unit down, and still let a good amount of airflow through.
One of the best ways to take care of your AC unit is to place it on a level concrete slab that is strong.
A solid concrete slab will prevent your air conditioning unit from sinking into the ground. An un-level slab has many bad impacts on AC effectiveness.
An AC that isn’t mounted level will wear quickly. This is because the working parts have to overcompensate for running at an abnormal angle. Internal vibration is increased in a non-level AC unit which can cause coolant lines to leak or break off completely.
Lastly, if your air conditioner isn’t mounted properly, higher levels of stress are placed on the whole unit. This causes breakages over time that will likely require AC repairs.
Whether you need some corrective maintenance, regular maintenance, or just a cleaning, give us a call today at 1-800-475-1504.
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