It's bound to get warm around Chicagoland soon...we hope! Which means that it's air conditioning clean and check time.
Yes, we’re bringing it up again. And yes, we know you don’t have to get your AC checked prior to operation for the year. Will it run just fine when you turn it on for the first time this season? It probably will, and probably did if you’ve needed it already.
We know some things in life have to be done. Buying Groceries, putting gas in your car, drinking water, paying taxes. We get it! A routine HVAC maintenance visit is not a life necessity. But are you okay with knowing that the comfort of your summer is based upon a “probably?” Equipment that operates fine is a blessing, but sometimes “just fine” is more of a risk than you realize.
Much like you wouldn’t leave a car in the garage for 6 months and then hop in, turn the key, and set-out on a drive to Florida, your equipment needs a bit of a head start to make the journey through summer efficiently and without a breakdown.
Could your car drive to Florida just fine? Probably. But if you failed to give it gas, oil, or a tire rotation, and experienced a break-down, then the expense of repairs will far outweigh the expense of the check-up and fluid top off that would have been ideal in advance of that trip.
A lot of cooling problems can be prevented by regular maintenance. Technicians are trained to notice little things and make recommendations on them, before they become big things and emergency visits ($$$). That’s where you’ll see savings. Of course techs cannot see in to the future and they cannot anticipate product failure without warning signs, so there is no guarantee of an absolutely care-free life for an AC, even with proper care. But our years of experience and training have proven that well maintained equipment is half as likely to fail.
And if it were to fail, many manufacturers will require a maintenance history by an authorized HVAC professional in order to provide parts under warranty. That’s probably not worth the risk, and specialized parts are important and expensive.
Keeping your air conditioner maintained will prolong the life of your equipment. Think of the car illustration again. The same concept applies.
- Over time dust and debris collects on the coils. The evaporator coils are inside, so they attract dust. But the outdoor condenser coils can become full of dirt, grass trimmings and even leaves. This build-up blocks airflow and heat transfer. So your air conditioner won’t be able to cool your home as efficiently. You’ll keep turning it down or running it longer, with no relief.
- Your condensate drain needs to be checked for clogs. A clog can hinder your system’s ability to control humidity. And we have seen many cases of a clogged condensate drain that’s caused water damage in a home.
- Motor parts need lubrication. Lack of lubrication can cause friction which reduces operating efficiency.
- Blower components need periodic cleaning and adjustment. Otherwise, they can cause airflow problems which can result in up to a 15% efficiency loss. (See the Energy Star maintenance guidelines).
A spring time AC Clean & Check can be accommodated if you call to schedule. Summer is often the busiest time for our technicians, and service calls can be harder to come by than maintenance visits are at this time of year.
So please don’t take a chance, and wait until you have no relief from the heat or you suspect somethings not quite right. We will be there for you when that happens, of course. But we hope to see you sooner than that! It’s not too late to ensure you’re in great shape for the duration of the summer.
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