Whether you’ve had the same air conditioning unit for quite a while, or you’ve just installed a new one, it’s important to set up regular, scheduled air conditioning maintenance for that unit.
Maintaining your unit on a regular schedule has tremendous benefits. It can save you a lot of money by helping you to prevent wear and tear, and the need to replace those overused and damaged parts. It can prolong the life of your overall unit so you won’t need to replace it for quite a while. And it can allow the A/C technician to foresee upcoming challenges, like parts that are starting to wear or are getting excessively dirty. The tech can also use this time to consult with you on how best to use your unit so you’re getting the highest-quality air in the most efficient way.
So, let’s explore why regular home AC maintenance is so important… as well as what can go wrong without it!
5 Benefits of Regular Home AC Maintenance
Here are the five big benefits of regular home AC maintenance.
Improved energy efficiency
A lot of things can prohibit your A/C unit from running efficiently. Dirty filters, dirty coils, leaking ducts, or even a motor that’s not operating properly can all slow down your machine and prevent it from working at peak performance. These are all things that a trained, diligent HVAC specialist will be able to look for. But if they’re not coming out to perform regular home AC maintenance? Then they won’t be able to intervene when these slow-downs come up.
Regular home AC maintenance means an extended equipment lifespan
Lifespan will vary depending upon the unit you get, the general temperatures where you’re located, and how often you’re running your unit. However, typically, an A/C unit can last between 15-20 years. But that range is dependent upon regular maintenance. A unit that’s checked on regularly by a trained A/C technician will be protected from the general wear and tear of use before any deterioration starts to occur. But a unit that’s ignored will start to feel the effects of that wear and tear; it’ll overwork to compensate for any issues or shortcomings, and this will shorten its lifespan.
So save yourself the headache of having to replace an expensive piece of machinery with regular maintenance.
Indoor air quality
Believe it or not, maintaining your A/C unit regularly can contribute to better overall quality of your indoor air. Wondering how? Well, as your A/C unit runs, dust, hair, dander, pollen, and other allergens will build up on your A/C unit’s filter. Over time, that filter simply becomes too dirty. Then it stops filtering particles the way it should. This means you end up breathing all of those icky allergens you were trying to remove from the air.
But a technician who visits your unit regularly will check to make sure the filter isn’t getting too dirty. And if it is, they will replace it.
Ensures greater comfort
A well-maintained unit will simply create a more comfortable environment within your home. Older, deteriorating units that aren’t cared for can be loud. They can also stop assisting with one of their principal functions, which is to draw humidity from your air. Finally, they can stop filtering allergens from the air as they should (especially if filters are not replaced), leaving you with poorer quality air.
Requires fewer costly service calls and repairs
A regularly scheduled maintenance visit is not an expensive service. But if your unit goes un-maintained and then parts break, that service call – and the cost of replacing broken parts – can be. This is why it’s ultimately a money-saving move for you to schedule regular maintenance on your unit before things start breaking and costing you.
What Happens Without Regular Home AC Maintenance?
We’ve talked about all of the great benefits of conducting routine maintenance on your A/C unit. But what about the cost of not doing it? Neglecting your unit can have costly long-term consequences that may leave you without a functioning A/C. Further, you may have to replace that neglected unit far sooner than you need to. Here’s what can go wrong if your unit is maintained regularly:
Higher utility bills
If wear, tear, or damage starts occurring to the parts of your unit without regular maintenance or technician intervention, your machine might very well continue running… but it’ll do so inefficiently. The unit will have to work much harder around those issues to circulate the same amount of air. That means much more energy will be used, and your utility bill for running that air conditioner will skyrocket.
Low-quality indoor air
Damaged or dirty air conditioner parts might cause the unit to stop filtering allergens and particles from the air. That will result in dirty, poor-quality air getting circulated throughout your home. But as part of your regular maintenance check, a trained technician will clean those icky parts, ensuring that your system can filter air like it’s supposed to.
Loud noises
There are a number of reasons your air conditioner unit might become increasingly loud. If parts have broken, become dislodged, or come apart, you might hear them clanging around as the machine struggles to continue functioning. Or, if parts become dirty or inefficient, you might hear your motor strain to continue running at peak capacity. Either way, regular maintenance checks will help you avoid all of these problems and ensure that your unit is able to run quietly.
Breakdown of moving parts
The moving parts in your A/C unit need to be kept lubricated. If there’s any debris or dirt that’s potentially blocking them or preventing them from moving smoothly, those would need to be removed or cleaned as well. Failing to do so can mean your unit will start making loud noises, could become inefficient, or might break entirely. A trained technician who’s maintaining your unit regularly will check for issues and clean/lubricate accordingly so that your moving parts can continue to move seamlessly.
Poor cooling ability
When coils in an A/C unit become dirty or clogged with debris, their ability to extract moisture from your air and cool air temperatures is reduced. What does that mean for you? Well, it could mean a warmer house, as your A/C will no longer be able to cool air effectively. It could also mean a much greater amount of energy is expended by the unit to cool the same amount of air (creating a larger utility bill for you). But the bottom line is that without regularly scheduled maintenance to clean those coils, a number of things could go wrong.
More frequent and expensive repairs without regular home AC maintenance
If you allow the parts of your A/C unit to become dirty or to wear with overuse, they’ll break sooner. For you, that means booking more service visits to replace broken or damaged parts. Unfortunately, some of which can be incredibly expensive. You’ll also have to pay that technician for their time to diagnose the problem. Not to mention, ordering those parts and coming back to install them…all while you’re sweltering in your house without cool air.
Scheduling routine home AC maintenance means a technician will notice when wear or tear first starts. Then, they can intervene before components break.
Schedule Your Home AC Maintenance Today
It might seem like scheduling regular maintenance appointments means unnecessary money spent. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality is that by maintaining your unit at a regular pace before any deterioration or breakdowns have occurred, you can prevent the need for much larger, more costly repairs. You can also conceivably extend the life of your entire unit. This would mean preventing you from needing to replace a very large and expensive air conditioner in the near future.
Finally, regular home AC maintenance means you can ensure it works more effectively. Cleaning and lubricating components regularly allows them to operate efficiently and quietly. With clean coils, the air will remain cool. Filters can be replaced, so that the allergens and particles in the air that might make you sick get filtered out. Ultimately, this gives you much better air quality. Additionally, ductwork can be inspected to ensure there are no leaks that would leech air from your system.
Ultimately, you can ensure a much more comfortable and pleasant environment for yourself by scheduling these regular, inexpensive maintenance checks. So go ahead: schedule them with A/C Care. Our team of talented and committed professionals is here to ensure your unit is well-maintained and ready to last for the long haul. So give us a call today!