A bit of system maintenance prior to the start of summer and during peak air conditioning season makes a big difference in things like performance and reliability. Homeowners need to know how to keep their air conditioning equipment in top shape and protect their furnace for the off-season.
Considering Filter Maintenance
One of the easiest DIY tasks is filter maintenance. For most HVAC systems, the standard filters and pre-filters need to be replaced every one to three months. In terms of summer maintenance, consider replacing filters at the beginning and end of the season.
Some advanced filters, such as those made with activated carbon or HEPA technology, usually follow longer replacement schedules. Depending on the type of filter, the replacement schedule might be every six to 12 months. You may also have a pre-filter that needs to be changed more frequently.
Note that your home’s interior environment may skew the schedule quite a bit. Households with pets, for example, can benefit from more frequent filter replacements. This may also be true if you live in a high-pollen area or in an area that experiences high levels of pollution. Inspect your filters once a month to see how they look. If the filters appear to be clogging faster than the standard schedule would suggest, then you may need to perform replacements more often.
Scheduling a System Tune-Up
Schedule one of our technicians to perform an annual AC tune-up at least once per year. Ideally, you want to have us visit before the beginning of summer. Our technicians will check your AC system for a host of potential problems by running diagnostics and tests. We will verify that all the HVAC system controls communicate well with each other. Likewise, we will confirm that your HVAC system turns on and off properly.
Our team also performs basic maintenance during this process. We will identify all the system’s moving parts so we can lubricate them. Also, our technicians will test the pressurization and performance of the refrigerant lines. We will inspect your system to look for visible signs of corrosion, refrigerant leaks, and other common issues.
Similarly, we will check the condition of the evaporator and condenser coils. These are the components that handle heat exchange between your home’s interior air and the outdoors. If they are damaged or dirty, the heat exchange will be less efficient. In some cases, the coils can even ice over because they’re not exchanging heat fast enough to defrost themselves. We can clean the coils and remove debris.
We will also check how well the thermostat and any sensors are working. The goal is to get the actual temperature of a room and the reading on your thermostat within about one degree of each other.
Our technicians check system airflow during routine maintenance. We have meters that allow us to measure how much air is coming from each vent while the system runs. A drop in airflow could signal a problem with a blower motor, fan, or damper. We can check those systems for issues and then either replace or adjust the components.
The Benefits of Tune-Ups
Homeowners are often surprised by how effective annual pre-summer HVAC tune-ups can be. Neglecting even one year of maintenance can cause an AC unit to lose as much as 10% of its efficiency. That number can end up increasing if there’s a refrigerant leak or a component like the compressor starts to fail. A tune-up is a good opportunity to check for such issues and to remedy them before they cause more expensive problems.
Our technicians can also document every tune-up. This is excellent information for homeowners since they may eventually want to sell their residence. Buyers like to see records of HVAC maintenance. Also, some manufacturers now require annual maintenance to honor a system’s warranty. Similarly, some insurers require a tune-up as part of maintaining a policy.
Summer System Monitoring
It’s important that you don’t assume your HVAC system will run perfectly for the summer. System monitoring is important. Homeowners should watch for a variety of potential issues that could require emergency maintenance or repairs.
Noticing Performance Drops
Any noticeable drop in performance is a sign that you should give us a call. For example, your AC might stop blowing cold air or quit working entirely. Similarly, you might notice an uptick in your electric bill that doesn’t correspond with a rate hike or heat wave. The expected temperature in your house could be way off target.
Loud or Abnormal Noises
Air conditioners tend to produce a certain level of noise, and they can get noisier with age. However, the increase in noise should be relatively gradual over the years. If you hear a big increase in noise or loud banging or hissing sounds, this is a possible sign the system needs maintenance.
Common Electrical Issues
HVAC system use a lot of electricity, and they can develop electrical problems. If the HVAC system doesn’t seem to power on, then you will want to check the circuit breaker on the electrical panel. The HVAC system may power up once you do this only to have trouble again. Repeated circuit breaker trips indicate a problem that deserves the attention of one of our technicians. Also, pay attention to burning smells, which may indicate an overload somewhere in the HVAC unit.
The Presence of Foul Odors
Your indoor air should smell fresh and clean when your AC is on. If you notice a burning smell, this could be a sign of a mechanical or electrical problem. Musty smells may be resolved by replacing filters. However, the smells also could indicate a performance drop that leads to a buildup of moist air and promotes mold growth.
End-of-Summer Care
How you treat your HVAC system as summer ends is just as important as scheduling maintenance and tune-ups. Once you’re sure that you won’t use your AC system for the rest of the year, you can decommission it. It’s a good idea to lightly spray the outdoor unit’s coils to clear any debris that might have accumulated.
This is also a good time to treat the condensate drain line. If the line seems to be clear, a homeowner can pour one cup of distilled vinegar into it. This will help remove gunk and discourage mold growth in the line. If the line seems to be clogged, ask one of our technicians to treat it. We have higher-grade products that can clean stubborn clogs from HVAC drain lines.
Home Comfort Services is a local business that has served the community since 2016. We are proud to help our neighbors in Grand Junction, CO, and the surrounding areas. Our HVAC technicians are highly trained, and we back our work with a 100% satisfaction guarantee. By checking Google, Yelp, and Facebook, you will find numerous excellent reviews from previous HVAC customers of our team’s high-quality work.
Our service agreements lets you get your HVAC system on a regular tune-up schedule, too. If it’s time for summer AC maintenance in your Grand Junction home, give Home Comfort Services a call today.
