You don’t have to wait until summer temperatures rise to ensure that your air conditioning system is in good working order. As experts in the field, our technicians at Apollo Heating & Air Conditioning recommend regular maintenance that takes the guesswork out of turning on the cooling system. In addition, these maintenance appointments can extend the system’s lifespan. But how often is enough?
Benefits of Regular AC Maintenance
Knowing the benefits of regular maintenance appointments can help you gauge whether it’s time to call out our technicians. For example, one of the greatest benefits of AC maintenance is improved efficiency. A well-maintained air conditioning system hums along without causing sudden spikes in your electricity usage. When you notice that this benefit is waning or absent, it could indicate that it’s past time for a maintenance appointment.
Another benefit many customers cite is the improvement of interior air quality. There are fewer dust particles and less pollen in the air. In contrast, when the system needs a tune-up, you may notice pollutants in the air as the AC turns on. Because regular maintenance can help improve air quality, consider calling our technicians for a regular service appointment when there’s dust in your indoor environment.
Defining a Baseline for Needed Services
When you don’t see any problems with how your AC system is running, there are other ways to determine a regular maintenance program. We recommend a once-a-year maintenance service, probably in the spring, before the hot weather sets in. Changes of the season also mean usage changes, and that can put a strain on the system.
Here’s What Happens During a Professional Maintenance Appointment
Our team at Apollo Heating & Air Conditioning will dispatch one or more trained specialists to your door. Our technicians understand your air conditioning system, which means they’ll know what the manufacturer recommends for that particular model.
One of the first steps they’ll take is to check the refrigerant. Is it at an acceptable level? The refrigerant travels through the system’s copper coils; if some have ice on them, our technicians will know there’s a problem. Next up, we’ll clean the condenser coil. This is the part that vents the hot air to the outside. Debris can clog it, which minimizes its effectiveness. Cleaning the coil once a year should prevent any such problems.
An air filter inspection and possible replacement are common steps during a maintenance appointment. Pet hair, dander, dust, pollen, and other contaminants collect in the filter, gradually slowing down efficiency. If your system is set up for the filter to be cleaned and reused, we can also do that.
Moving components do a lot of hard work. That’s why our technicians will not only inspect to make sure nothing is loose, but they’ll also lubricate the moving parts. Reducing friction extends the lifespan of your equipment. It also prevents unwelcome noise while you’re running the system.
Electrical connections will be checked and tightened if necessary. This not only promotes efficient functioning but also helps prevent fires. On that note, all safety systems will be inspected as well.
Incidentally, we’ll also test and calibrate the thermostat as part of our service call. This ensures that it works well and accurately controls the home’s temperature. If you have an air conditioner setup with multiple zones, we will check the individual zones to test whether you benefit fully from this arrangement.
Other Factors That Help You Decide How Often to Maintain Your AC
How extensively is you air conditioning system normally in use? For the system that is in your vacation home and only used infrequently, you may not have to call for a service appointment on an annual basis, though it is still recommended. In contrast, for the system that is your workhorse at your primary residence with daily use during the hot season, you should have it tuned up at least once a year, and you may actually wish to have it serviced more often.
At Apollo Heating & Air Conditioning, we do meticulous air conditioner tune-ups and so much more. We offer a complete range of heating and cooling equipment installation, maintenance, and repair for standard and ductless systems, including heat pumps. We also handle geothermal systems, indoor air quality, ductwork services, and smart thermostats. Call us today to ask for more information about any of these or to schedule an appointment!
