Living in Tampa means battling the blazing hot temperatures of summer. Without a reliable and efficient air conditioning system, you’ll be left with a miserable and sometimes unbearable climate inside your home. Regular maintenance helps keep your cooling system on track so you can avoid this misery. Scheduling the service before spring gives our technicians plenty of time to prepare the system so it’s ready when the temperatures begin to soar.
Steps Involved and the Benefits They Provide
Understanding how maintenance is performed can help you understand why the service is so crucial for your system. With regular annual maintenance, you can enjoy greater reliability and efficiency while maximizing the safety of your system and extending its life. Additionally, scheduling the service early gives you plenty of time to prepare and be ready when the heat arrives. We’ll explain each step in the maintenance visit and detail how each particular task benefits you and your system.
Visual Inspection
We begin the annual maintenance service by visually inspecting all the parts and components of your HVAC system. We closely look at every part, identifying issues. The visual inspection continues as we perform other tasks as well, with our technicians keeping a careful eye on the condition of each component.
Visual inspection allows us to find damage and excessive wear as well as identify malfunctions. Ensuring the parts are in optimal condition leads to greater function and better reliability of the system. Additionally, we can schedule repairs for anything that isn’t up to par so your system is ready before the summer heat arrives.
Cleaning the System
As our technicians work through your system during maintenance, we clean away dust and other contaminants that have accumulated on and inside the machines. We also clean debris away from the outdoor unit and ensure there are no twigs, leaves, or other materials on top of the air conditioner.
This cleaning helps reduce stress on the system. With less stress, you’ll see an increase in efficiency and lower cooling costs. You’ll also keep the parts and components of the system in better condition in the long run, leading to greater reliability and a longer lifespan of the system.
Lubricate Moving Parts
Some parts inside the HVAC system move to create and push conditioned air. These parts require proper lubrication to prevent damage from friction as they move against other components. Lubricating moving parts lowers the risk of excessive wear that can cause breakdowns and improves efficiency by lowering the stress these parts undergo during operation.
Check Condensate Drain Lines
Condensate drain lines carry water away from the HVAC system, preventing it from pooling up in and around the units. Our technicians assess the drain lines, checking for damage and leaks and ensuring the lines are clear for water to travel through.
Keeping the condensate drain lines clear promotes greater reliability through the prevention of catastrophic electrical damage that can completely shut down your air conditioner.
Test Safety Controls
Many HVAC systems feature safety controls that limit or prevent operation when problems are detected. These controls are tested during maintenance to ensure they respond as they should.
Properly working safety controls prevent catastrophic damage to your system. This means that you’ll have fewer malfunctions and repair needs while getting more life from your air conditioner.
Refill Refrigerant
Refrigerant is used inside your AC to create the cold air that pumps through your vents. We check the refrigerant in your air conditioner, ensuring there is enough to get you through the summer. We also check for leaks.
Refrigerant is required for the creation of cold air. Ensuring there is ample refrigerant keeps your system running through the summer so you don’t have to call us for emergency service. Checking for leaks adds a layer of safety as well because refrigerant is harmful to humans and the environment.
Test Airflow
Our technicians always turn on the HVAC system when we are finished with the interior inspection, cleaning, and tuning. We want to make sure you have even and sufficient airflow to keep your home at an ideal temperature.
This step in the maintenance process ensures comfort and helps with energy efficiency. Uneven or insufficient airflow may cause you to adjust the thermostat to better meet your comfort needs and can result in excess strain on the system. By keeping the airflow even throughout the house, your system works less and the individual parts stay in better condition.
Listen for Odd Noises
Strange noises are cause for concern when coming from your HVAC system. Loud banging and clanging noises as well as whistling or rattling can indicate a problem. Our technicians listen for anything out of the ordinary when doing the test run on your system. Strange noises require further investigation.
Odd sounds indicate a problem that can cause damage to the system, leading to breakdowns and a shortened life for your air conditioner.
Smell for Odors
Foul odors are another checkpoint that our technicians are on alert for during the test run of your HVAC system. Your system should operate without any smell, so odors are cause for concern. Finding problems that cause strange smells from the system boosts the reliability of your system.
Calibrate Thermostat
Your thermostat controls the HVAC system by telling it when to start and stop based on your settings and the temperature of your home. Our technicians check that the temperature your thermostat displayed is an accurate reflection of the temperature inside your home. If not, we first look at the location and surroundings.
Heat-producing appliances can alter the reading on your device as can nearby vents. Your thermostat should be located in an open area away from anything that causes a higher or lower temperature in that particular area. Our technicians can move your thermostat if needed. If we find the device reading inaccurately without an obvious cause, we calibrate the thermostat until it displays the temperature accurately.
Having an accurate temperature reading promotes greater efficiency and comfort. If your thermostat displays the wrong temperature, you may struggle to control the climate in your home. It also causes added stress on the system. More stress equals faster wear and tear which in turn leads to more frequent breakdowns. Excessive wear also shortens the life of your system and leads to more frequent replacement needs.
Your Local HVAC Maintenance Experts
At Ahoy! Cooling & Heating, we take great strides to provide the best heating and cooling services for our Southern Florida customers. We know how critical annual maintenance is which is why we perform this service with the highest degree of diligence and care. Additionally, our technicians offer skilled repair and replacement services, helping you maintain a comfortable climate inside your home. Count on us for all your heating, air conditioning, mini-split system, zoning, and air quality services and we’ll ensure you love the feeling of relaxing at home.
Get your annual maintenance scheduled before spring so your Tampa home is ready for summer by calling the expert HVAC technicians at Ahoy! Cooling & Heating today.
