As winter turns to spring in Tampa, FL, there are several things you’ll need to do at home to prepare your air conditioner for the seasonal transition. One of the most important is scheduling professional HVAC maintenance for the reasons we list below.
Increase Reliability
One of the most essential reasons that you need to schedule HVAC maintenance is to increase the reliability of your air conditioning system. No homeowner wants to be stuck with a cooling system that doesn’t work during the heat of summer. When we perform maintenance on your air conditioner, we inspect all its internal components.
If there are any worn-out or malfunctioning components, we’ll replace them. This will go a long way to dramatically reduce your chance of experiencing an HVAC breakdown during the summer. It will also reassure you about the reliability of your cooling system.
Ensure Optimal System Efficiency
Another reason to schedule a spring HVAC tune-up is to keep your system functioning optimally. When our technicians inspect and clean your system, they’ll ensure that it’s operating at peak efficiency. Without maintenance, your system could waste energy, making you pay more than necessary to cool your home. With our maintenance, you will know that you’re only paying what’s absolutely necessary to power your air conditioning system.
Maintain Warranty Coverage
Every air conditioning system comes with a manufacturer’s warranty. This helps cover the cost of parts in the event that your system experiences a malfunction. Without proof of annual maintenance by a certified technician, the manufacturer could deny your warranty claim. This could leave you paying out of pocket for unexpected repair bills. Annual maintenance keeps your warranty in force.
Enhance Indoor Air Quality
With spring comes allergy season for many individuals who experience a variety of unpleasant symptoms. Airborne particles, like pollen and even dust, can circulate heavily throughout your home during the spring. Routine HVAC maintenance is ideal to remove that dust and improve the filtration of your system.
Our technicians will clean any mold or mildew growth from your coils or drain lines to prevent toxic mold spores from entering the air you breathe. This will do wonders for enhancing your indoor air quality and minimizing your symptoms throughout the spring and summer months.
Extend the Cooling System’s Lifespan
Purchasing a new air conditioning system for your home can be quite costly, so it’s important to do everything possible to extend the lifespan of your existing system. Annual AC maintenance is one of the best ways to do that. When all your components get the care they need, they last longer.
Industry experts estimate that ACs that receive routine maintenance can last five to eight years longer than those that don’t. It simply makes sense to invest a little bit of money each year to lengthen your system’s lifespan.
Ensure Optimal Home Comfort
If you’ve ever experienced issues like uneven cooling or uncomfortably high temperatures in your home, it can really put a damper on your comfort. Unfortunately, an air conditioning system that doesn’t get routine maintenance is more likely to develop airflow restrictions, thermostat issues, and ductwork problems. When a professional services your cooling system, they make sure your ducting is working properly, your thermostat is properly calibrated, and your system is fully balanced. This will provide consistent comfort throughout the long summer ahead.
Learn How Much Longer Your System Is Likely to Last
One other great reason to consider professional maintenance is to learn how much longer your cooling system is likely to last. Our technicians can let you know when you’ll need to start planning for replacement. This will give you adequate time to prepare for the financial implications and choose the type of air conditioner you want to purchase. It’s much easier to make purchasing decisions when you have adequate time to think them over.
What Does Professional Maintenance Include?
Think of professional AC maintenance as an in-depth service to prepare your cooling system for summer. It’s specifically designed to ensure your system is running safely, efficiently, and reliably. During our inspection, we’ll take a close look at all the parts of your entire system.
We’ll clean any dirty components and lubricate any moving parts. Our technician will tighten and test all your electrical connections to ensure they’re working properly. We’ll recharge your refrigerant levels as necessary to meet the manufacturer’s guidelines. When our technician is done performing maintenance on your air conditioning system, you can rest assured that it’s operating safely and efficiently.
Why Is Homeowner Maintenance Important?
Apart from annual professional maintenance, you also need to do periodic maintenance as a homeowner to keep your system working efficiently all summer. At the beginning of the summer, you want to start by programming your thermostat. If you don’t have a smart thermostat, we suggest upgrading to one. It will let you program set schedules and enjoy technologies like geofencing. This will help you minimize energy waste while enhancing your comfort. It can help you ensure your thermostat is set to cooling mode and your blower fan is set to Auto, not On.
Next, take a look at all your air vents and registers. Make sure that they’re completely open to allow for adequate airflow. Ensure that no obstructions block the airflow in or out within 3 feet of the vent or register.
You will need to inspect your outdoor condenser unit at the beginning of summer and after every major storm. You must ensure that no debris is pushing up against the outside of the condenser. This debris could block airflow in and out of the unit, significantly decreasing system performance. Items like leaves and twigs can create a real hazard when it comes to summertime cooling.
Another must-do maintenance task is checking your air filter. We suggest putting in a new air filter early in the spring to get your system ready. Be sure to check the filter once a month and replace it whenever necessary.
You can check the filter by pulling it out of its housing and holding it up to a light.
If you can’t see through the filter, you need to replace it with a new one. There are different types of air filters that you can purchase for your cooling system. If you suffer from severe allergies or another respiratory condition, we suggest a filter with a MERV rating of 11 to 13. One of our technicians can advise you about the exact MERV rating that will do the best job of filtering out contaminants without restricting your airflow.
Top-Notch AC Maintenance Services
Ahoy! Cooling & Heating provides top-notch AC maintenance in Tampa and the surrounding areas. We can also assist with all of your AC repair, new installation, and replacement needs. Simply call our office today to schedule your next service appointment with one of our skillful HVAC technicians.
