One of the downsides About air conditioning units being designed so tough and durable is that it can lead to a great deal of complacency about routine maintenance.
As is the case with auto mechanics, everyone knows you can look after the little routine service now and pay just a little. Or youll have to pay them a lot later on for a major fix down the road. What the majority of people are unaware of is that the same holds true for their air conditioning unit. Taking care of the routine maintenance for your AC unit will prevent you from going broke later on. Just like your car, your AC unit will certainly benefit greatly from regular service.
For each year of operation, an AC unit will certainly lose roughly 5 percent of its original efficiency if it is not routinely maintained. The great news however is that most of the effectiveness can by recovered after some basic upkeep. There is a great deal of research that recommends that AC units with regular upkeep maintain a predicted 95 % of its original efficiency. When you consider what that means, is that the savings on your monthly bill from regular upkeep coupled costs|expenses from repairs more than pays for the expense of check-ups and minor fixes.
Depending on the time of the year, many air conditioning companies will even offer specials throughout the non-peak season.
A Routine maintenance should cover a couple different areas of your unit. First off, the condenser coils should be washed. A number of other actions should be taken including checking the belts to ensure they are well adjusted not too tight, no excessive slack, oiling the fan and comparing current temperatures and pressures to the manufacturers specifications. One of the most essential actions is checking the Freon level also known as coolant in the air conditioner. Many people are not aware of this, however an AC unit that is only 10 % low on coolant will cost roughly 20 % more to operate! According to the ACCA Air Conditioning Contractors of America, the Freon levels should be checked annually to ensure your unit runs the most effectively.
Because Freon is a chemical compound that can damage the earths protective ozone layer, it is heavily regulated by the EPA. Only accredited professionals should handle Freon. It is actually against the law for a professional to add Freon to a leaky system. In fact, the laws are so strict that an air conditioning repairman can lose their license if they are ever caught adding Freon to a leaking system. It is considered a serious violation of environmental law.
An additional consideration is the filters. Make sure they are clean, as they can drastically lower the usefulness and effectiveness of your AC unit.