As the summer months approach, you’re likely relying on your home’s cooling system to keep you comfortable as the temperature rises. A reliable and quality HVAC installation might serve you and your family well for years at a time; there are signs that the unit in your home requires repair or routine maintenance. Here are some of the things you should look out for before the summer heat is upon you like air conditioner maintenance.
Poor Performance
A common sign that an HVAC system requires attention is how poorly is cools a home. If, after a few minutes of operation, an air conditioner unit isn’t producing cold air, it could be due to low refrigerant levels or components that have malfunctioned.
Coolant can be refilled, so air flows cool, but faulty machinery will require attention from a qualified technician. They may determine that certain repairs need to be made, but in other cases may call for replacing the entire unit.
Lack of cold air is a serious issue, but so is limited airflow. It’s a common problem for air conditioners, which means most technicians are familiar with its causes.
source: afrdynamics.com
In many cases, limited airflow is the result of ducts either coming loose or full of debris. Either scenario can limit the amount of air that’s supplied to the rooms in your home.
While those issues have relatively simple fixes, another thing that can limit airflow is a bad compressor. Over time compressors may lose strength, but a thorough inspection can only determine this.
You may be used to some leaking from your HVAC unit, often enough that it may not seem like cause for concern. But there are times where those leaks are refrigerant, which can pose a health hazard in addition to limiting the cooling performance of your unit. Leaks are an issue that must be addressed as soon as possible. Also, you can know how to maintain and clean the gutters.
Unusual Sounds
You may be familiar with a gentle hum from an HVAC unit, letting you know that it’s working to cool your home. This hum is a relatively low sound that might escape your awareness at times. Loud bumps, grinds, squeaks, or other unusual noises are cause for concern.
These disruptive noises can point to ball bearings that require lubrication. Without proper attention, they could damage other components, turning simple maintenance into a costly replacement.
What is not common is noticing smells from your air conditioner. The presence of pungent or burning odors coming from your unit can be the early stages of serious malfunction.
source: 123airconditioningandheating.com
A faulty breaker can cause electrical malfunctions that could spark a fire. It’s best to stop using such a unit until a technician has had an opportunity to inspect and clear it for continued use.
While summer is time, you can expect your electric bill to rise because you’re using an air conditioner for longer. If that bill increases too high, it could be due to a faulty air conditioner siphoning more power than it should.
Of course, with all that air circulating through your home, its common for an air conditioner to accumulate dirt and dust. You may swap out the filter in your unit as a way of controlling this. Finding filters that fit your frame is ideal for limiting dust build-up, but also assists in cooling and lowering energy consumption.
Those of you who are more familiar with the inner workings of an air conditioner might know where its coils are and how to clean them. A proper cleaning every six months helps in overall efficiency during the summer, but its also a critical part of keeping a unit fuller operational for years into the future.
As crucial as coils are coil fins. These drains allow for liquid to flow and eliminate the chance for humidity within the unit. Removing clogs removes the opportunity for moisture to build up and damage components.
Though regular cleaning routines are recommended, thorough cleaning of your ductwork by a technician goes a step further to make sure the air flowing through your home is cooler, faster, and cleaner.
You may be wondering how often you should conduct maintenance on your unit; this can shift depending on the state of your air conditioner and the time of year, but a proper attention every six months typically yields positive results. However, this must be done in coordination with quick response times to any developments that limit performance.
source: google-image
By scheduling proactive maintenance, you can make sure your home’s temperature is comfortable, no matter the weather or time of year. And given the proper attention, an adequate air conditioner could last you for many years.
If you have any complications with your air conditioner and want to be ready for the summer, seek professional insight to conduct maintenance, you need to cool your home.
