New AC units are costly, so you must learn how to take care of them properly. Learning how to maintain your AC is the best way to extend the life of your unit. Regular AC maintenance is straightforward and efficient with proper knowledge, no matter what brand system you have. Let’s take a look at what you can do to maintain your AC and how to identify when it’s time to call in the professionals.
Annual Maintenance
One important time to call in help from AC professionals like Medcalf Heating & Cooling is to have your annual maintenance performed. When your unit sits over the wintertime, it is easy for debris to build up and parts to be exposed to harsh elements. Before starting your AC for the season, it’s a good idea to have it checked out.
AC systems have dozens of parts that you can’t see. Each part performs a different function, from the condenser and evaporator coils to the blower and motor. Hiring professionals for the job ensures that you maintain every part of the system and not just those you can reach. Though some people think that they need to schedule service appointments a few times a year, once is usually enough.
As Indiana has relatively mild seasons, you probably don’t need to run the AC in the colder months. Many locals only run their ACs from May through September. If you lived in a city with a warmer climate and had an AC you used more, you might need to schedule services a few times a year. In Terre Haute though, once a year should be fine.
More Frequent Service
If you have multiple pets, you may need to schedule maintenance services more often. Their hair goes right into your vents and ducts before finding its way to your air conditioner. The hair builds up on your filter along with other debris, like the dirt your family members track in on their shoes. A dirty filter is a potential problem because it can make the AC struggle to work. Consider setting up service appointments at least once every six months.
You may need more than one appointment a year if someone in your family struggles with allergies. Dirty and clogged filters wreak havoc on your home’s indoor air quality (IAQ). It can make you exhibit more symptoms than you did in previous years along with worse symptoms. Schedule AC maintenance services at least once every six months. You may find it helpful to have your AC maintained every three months in this case.
Best Time for AC Maintenance
To ensure you can handle the high temperatures of summer, schedule maintenance in the late spring. Demand for AC annual maintenance typically increases around this time in preparation for the warmer weather.
Spring is a good time because you can see if the AC can keep up with the coming summer temperatures. If the unit struggles just to keep your home at a set temperature when it’s still cool outside, you’ll know that you need some extra work. Many specials run in the spring months that can help you save on maintenance services, too.
Benefits of AC Maintenance
There are tons of benefits to maintaining your AC. Some of the top benefits include:
- Increased unit longevity
- Reduction in malfunction or failures
- Upgrade opportunities
- Warranty maintenance
- Improved efficiency
- Avoidance of larger, more costly issues
When it comes to upgrades, you’ll find options like indoor air purifiers and filters. With an air filter, you can pick one designed to work with your AC. It catches some of the fine particles in the air, cleans, and purifies the air. It can kill germs that your family brings inside as well.
Prepare Your AC for Summer
Preparing your AC for summer is as easy as setting up a service appointment. At Medcalf Heating & Cooling, we want to help you stay cool and comfortable this summer as temperatures skyrocket in Terre Haute. Though you only need to service your system once a year, twice-a-year appointments are helpful if you live with pets or anyone who has allergies. Call Medcalf Heating & Cooling today to schedule AC maintenance any time of the year. We offer comprehensive heating and cooling services.
