People often prioritize the aesthetics while maintaining their households, but it should be your central air conditioner or HVAC system that should be at the top of your list. While it stays out of your sight, it is one of the most expensive appliances in your house and consumes higher energy compared to others. It is logical, therefore, that you maintain it with regular check-ups, repairs or replacements, if any, and prolong its service years.

Hence, the question about a choice between maintaining your central AC or waiting to see it fail is a no-brainer.

If you’re still undecided…

Let’s begin with enumerating all the things that contribute towards regular annual maintenance of your central AC unit:

• Outdoor condenser coils are prey to all manners of dirt and debris, including leaves, twigs, rain-washed soil, etc. and anything else that the cat cared to drag in, lowering efficiency.
• Indoor evaporator coils are an interior unit and also need cleaning of accumulated dust as well so that the system’s mechanical parts aren’t stressed and they function smoothly.
• Electrical checks of all related controls, wirings, connections, components and joints, hook-ups, etc. are required to assess their working condition and identify damages if any.
• Mechanical parts need to be checked too for lubrication and possible replacements. Although newer units have sealed moving parts that do not require oiling, your unit could be an older one and in need of some care.
• Refrigerant level checks ensure that correct levels are maintained for low levels will overwork the compressor and even cause frost or ice to develop on evaporator coils.
• Drain lines need to be cleaned up to free them from any obstruction. Mold and mildew build-up is harmful to the unit as well as to your family’s health. Therefore, thorough clean-up of condensate drains, and drain pans are necessary. Plugged evaporator condensate lines could cause water overflow, damaging furnace, electric and metal components. Watch out for puddles forming near your furnace!
• Motors, fan blades, indoor blower are an assembly unit and need to be checked in unison.
• Air-filters need to be cleaned for energy-efficient functioning of your HVAC unit, but sometimes replacing an air-filter is the best option and also reduces the chances of an evaporator coil freeze-up.
• Exterior refrigerant line insulation and ductwork checks reduce the chances of air-leakage and help in avoiding wastage of energy.

Your central air conditioner is a single unit, and every little part and process matters for an optimum working condition. Only a qualified technician would know the nitty-gritty of properly maintaining one so that the average life of your unit is prolonged. So if you’re not getting these done, you’re waiting for your AC to fail and then, you’ll be looking at costly repairs and replacements ahead.

Why hire professionals

Simply because they know what to look at and where and at what time exactly. Professionals have systemized checking procedures that help them perform standard maintenance checks, diagnose problems, and recommend solutions with efficiency, speed and clarity.

Tips from the experts

Pro Service and its experience and expertise are always just a call away. But, here are some quick tips for you to ensure that your AC unit behaves at its best.

• We advice turning off the power on your unit during the fall so that accidental starts do not damage the condensing unit compressor.
• Invest in a good thermostat, preferably programmable to save energy usage and maximize control.
• Maintain at least half a yard of clearance around your outdoor condenser unit.

As a step towards reliability and service integrity, we also advise you to check whether the AC contractor you’re hiring has worker’s compensation insurance and liability. Our technicians at Pro Service always do, so you can rest assured that both your AC unit and your trust are in safe hands!