You know that you’re supposed to have maintenance performed on your air conditioner every year, right? And perhaps you know some of the reasons: maintenance keeps your air conditioner under warranty for as long as possible, improves the effectiveness with which it cools your home, increases efficiency, lengthens the lifespan of the system, and makes it so you’ll need fewer repairs. But perhaps you have questions. How exactly does AC maintenance prevent problems that would otherwise require repair? We’ll tell you all about it.
Dust
Even if you keep a very clean and tidy home, and even if you change your AC air filter every month when it’s in heavy use, dust will accumulate inside the unit. (You are changing your air filter, right?) If you’ve ever left a corner of your home undisturbed for a year, you might think you know how much dust would accumulate, but it’s more than that.
The air conditioner pulls a huge volume of air through its inner workings every year, and that air carries dust which gets trapped inside. Dust acts like insulation on evaporator coils, preventing them from absorbing enough heat from your home. Dust coats the fan motor, causing it to hold in warmth and risk overheating. Grit rubs between components, causing friction and doing damage.
All of these things contribute to wear and tear. Dusty coils force the compressor to work harder, trying against increasing odds to cool your home. Dusty fan motors can get so hot that the wiring literally fuses together, burning the motor out completely. But your technician will meticulously clean the entire system, wiping away a year’s worth of dust and guarding against potential repair needs.
Lubrication
Your air conditioner contains some moving parts. Any time one component moves against another component, there is friction. Too much friction leads to two things.
First, the system has to work harder, like you would if you were trying to pedal a bicycle while also applying the brakes. And second, the components will heat up, the way two sticks can start a fire if they’re rubbed against each other.
Both of these concerns can quickly lead to malfunctions within the system. And both of these concerns can be eliminated by keeping the moving parts properly lubricated which your technician will do during maintenance.
Catching Problems Early
In addition to cleaning and lubricating, the technician’s maintenance checklist includes inspecting and testing every single component of the system. Is the belt in good condition, or is it stretching or tearing? Is the fan in the proper alignment, or is it wobbling and rattling? Is there any refrigerant leaking from the coils? Are the electrical connections working properly? Does the thermostat need to be recalibrated?
By checking all these things and more, your technician will spot any tiny issues that have started to develop. This prevents them from becoming major problems that cause breakdowns or require extensive AC repair in Melbourne, FL.
Once your technician has finished your AC maintenance, you’ll be able to rest easy in cool comfort—and in the knowledge that your air conditioner is in the best possible shape.
