You may have noticed that in this blog, we often talk about the amazing benefits of maintenance for all parts of your HVAC system. And one of the biggest benefits is that maintenance reduces the risk of repair needs and breakdowns. Right now, before you start using your air conditioner for the summer, it’s time to have that maintenance done.
Once you’ve gotten your air conditioner maintained, it will be more effective and more efficient. Your indoor air quality will be better. You’ll be on track to keep that air conditioner running for as many summers as possible. And your likelihood of needing repairs this summer will be cut by 85%. But how does air conditioner maintenance prevent problems and repair needs? Let’s explain.
Reducing Wear and Tear
It stands to reason that the more you run your air conditioner, the more wear and tear it will accumulate. But there are other factors that increase how severely normal operation will strain your AC system. And the maintenance process eliminates or minimizes the things that cause additional wear and tear.
The first step in AC maintenance is cleaning. All the grit and grime of a summer’s hard work and a winter’s disuse and dust will be meticulously wiped away. Having a clean air conditioner reduces wear and tear in two different ways.
There won’t be particles of dirt or other contaminants working their way into moving parts, literally grinding away at your AC components. And components that need to dissipate heat, like the blower fan motor, won’t be wearing dusty blankets which insulate them and keep that heat in. Overheating is a major cause of AC repair needs.
The next step in AC maintenance is lubrication. Those moving parts, now clean of debris and grit, need to glide smoothly against each other. Over the course of the year, the lubricant has worn away, so it needs to be replenished. This keeps friction to a minimum, preventing wear and tear and overheating.
Catching Small Problems Early
The rest of the AC maintenance process involves carefully inspecting every component throughout the whole system and testing the electrical parts such as motors, wiring connections, and the thermostat. This allows your technician to discover any tiny concerns with your air conditioner. If you’d started to run it for the summer without addressing those issues, they’d get much worse.
Your technician might notice a worn section of coil starting to allow refrigerant to leak. They might determine that the blower fan motor is drawing the wrong amperage of power or that a capacitor needs to be replaced. They might need to recalibrate your thermostat so it gives accurate signals for when the AC should turn on and off. Or they might simply need to tighten some screws.
Now that your air conditioner is cleaned and lubricated, with all parts inspected and tested and any minor concerns resolved, you’ll be ready to have a cool, comfortable summer without worrying about needing AC repair in Coeur d’Alene, ID. So schedule your maintenance today!
ACI Northwest is here to help. Contact us today with any questions about your air conditioning.