Homeowners have a long list of responsibilities when maintaining a property. Some of it can feel like a drag, but it’s critical to avoiding complicated and expensive problems. Don’t forget to include your air conditioner in the house’s regular upkeep.
Consistent and regular AC maintenance preserves the unit’s performance. When its efficiency suffers, the air quality drops, the machinery’s lifespan declines, and your energy bills rise.
Keeping your AC running optimally in Las Vegas’ hot climate is critical. At Sierra Air Conditioning & Heating, we know which parts of your air conditioner need attention, how to perform maintenance, and how regular AC maintenance prolongs and enhances its use. Keep reading to learn more about why air conditioner maintenance is important to your home.
Areas Regular AC Maintenance Improves
Safeguarding an air conditioner’s performance is essential for four primary reasons.
Comfortable Environment
Making sure that an air conditioning unit functions optimally ensures comfort inside your home, particularly during sweltering summer months. A properly working air conditioner means better airflow and steadier temperatures.
Healthy Air Quality
Better indoor air quality comes from maintaining clean air filters that undergo replacement at the appropriate times. Those with respiratory or allergy concerns need to pay special attention to their AC filters to ensure the purest air quality possible.
Efficient Energy Use and Cost-Savings
Properly cared-for air conditioners run more efficiently, meaning they burn through less energy to operate. The Department of Energy affirms that AC maintenance improves energy efficiency by up to 15%. That makes a huge difference in your home’s energy bills over time.
Longer Lifespan
You can extend your air conditioner’s life span by performing preventative maintenance that allows you to catch potential problems with the mechanics before they develop into expensive repairs or replacements. Air conditioning units are big-ticket items. Homeowners should get the most value and use possible.
Components To Maintain
Now that we know the areas regular AC maintenance helps, let’s investigate the mechanics that require routine upkeep.
AC Filters
Air filters capture excess particles like allergens or pollutants while allowing air to flow through them. Air filters protect against particles like dust, pollen, pet fur, mold, outdoor air pollutants, and dander or dead skin.
You don’t always need a pricey air purifier because clean and competent filters in your air conditioner can healthily manage your home’s indoor air quality. Central and portable AC units contain air filters that require replacing or sanitizing, depending on if they use disposable or reusable filters.
Clean filters also allow for more effortless airflow, meaning the air conditioning unit doesn’t have to work overtime to pump air through clogged fibers. Cleaning and replacing your AC filter is an essential part of regular AC maintenance. The efficiency extends its lifespan and minimizes energy use. Here are the steps for maintaining air filters.
- Turn off the unit.
- Remove the filter and thoroughly clean it if it’s reusable. You can simply replace a disposable filter with a brand-new one.
- Install the new filter. If you washed a reusable filter, make sure the filter is dry before installing it.
AC Coils and Coil Fins
Coils inside the air conditioner are vital to the cooling process. The evaporator coils are responsible for consuming hot air from the indoor environment to allow the fan to pump out cool air. The condenser coil releases the hot air outside.
Air conditioner coils run through aluminum strips, which are the fins. Coils need to be clean to work well– debris can build up and prevent air from flowing through them. Maintaining the coils and fins is fundamental to the capacity and longevity of the unit.
The standard recommendation is to have a professional examine and clean the coils and fins once a year, before summertime. Cleaning the AC coils is a necessary part of regular AC maintenance. But it is a delicate and technical process that has to be done correctly to avoid causing further problems.
More Regular AC Maintenance
On top of consistently cleaning the air filters, coils, and fins, it’s crucial to prepare your air conditioner for winter and schedule regular tune-ups from a technician.
Service technicians can perform inspections, electrical connection tightening, check and modify refrigerant levels, lubricate the unit’s moving parts, and change or clean the filters if necessary.
Wrapping Up
Regular AC maintenance prolongs the unit’s lifespan, improves its functionality and efficiency, and minimizes energy, repair, and replacement costs. Well-cared-for air conditioners also provide better air quality and indoor environmental comfort.
The main components to consistently maintain are the air filters, coils, and fins. Regularly clean each part to preserve your air conditioner’s efficiency and longevity. Some of this regular AC maintenance you might be able to handle yourself. But if you want the best AC service for your Las Vegas and surrounding areas home, contact our team at Sierra Air Conditioning & Heating today.
