As a homeowner, an important part of upkeep is HVAC maintenance. Both heating and cooling systems need yearly professional tune ups, and this is the time of year where care for your air conditioner really makes a difference.
In our most recent blog, the HVAC system technicians at Grove Heating & Cooling discuss the importance of AC maintenance and what this service includes.
What Does AC Maintenance Include?
When performing a tune up, air conditioning technicians complete a long list of tasks in order to care for all of the system’s vital components and ensure they are all working correctly. It will take around an hour for a qualified HVAC technician to complete a tune up routine that includes:
- Measuring refrigerant charge
- Inspecting for refrigerant leaks
- Checking electrical connections and tightening as needed
- Inspecting and cleaning outdoor condenser coil
- Inspecting and cleaning indoor evaporator coil
- Cleaning condensate drip pan and drain line
- Cleaning blower assembly
- Lubricating blower motor bearings
- Inspecting capacitor condition
- Taking voltage and amperage readings of motors
- Testing compressor contacts
- Checking and cleaning the thermostat
- Inspecting the existing air filter and changing it if necessary
- Measuring airflow temperatures and pressure
- Testing safety controls
When Does an Air Conditioner Need Maintenance?
Air conditioners should receive a professional maintenance tune up once per year. If you use a heat pump cooling system, that equipment should receive two tune ups per year, as it functions for both home heating and cooling. It’s wise to schedule tune ups for your air conditioner in the spring so maintenance has been completed ahead of summer when it’s time to start using your system for the season.
If you don’t schedule your AC tune up in the spring and you’ve already been using your air conditioner this summer, that’s ok! Even though the system has started, you should still schedule a tune up. The care provided during a tune up will still be beneficial and help your air conditioner run at peak efficiency for the rest of the season. Even if you haven’t had your air conditioner tuned up in years, it’s never too late to start!
Benefits of AC Maintenance
All of the AC tune up tasks are meant to deliver some very important benefits for your air conditioning unit. Your investment in regular cooling system maintenance has an excellent return when it comes to your comfort and savings over the years.
- The maintenance care provided during an AC system tune up improves system efficiency. Your air conditioner will run better while using less power over the cooling season after being tuned up, which keeps your summer energy bills low.
- By improving the system’s performance, an air conditioner tune up also benefits your home’s comfort. After a tune up, your air conditioning system will perform at its best to deliver optimal cooling throughout the home and keep temperatures balanced.
- The maintenance services performed during a tune up counteract the wear and tear an air conditioner sustains over normal use. By caring for components through maintenance, your air conditioner is less likely to suffer a breakdown over the season, which can leave your home without cooling and create surprise repair costs.
- A tune up is a great time to catch small issues before they become serious problems. With a trained technician’s eye on every part of your air conditioner, problematic parts are identified. When you are aware of these issues, repairs can be made now when they aren’t as extensive and don’t cost as much.
- With regular maintenance tune ups, components are kept in good shape and issues hindering performance are eliminated. This helps your air conditioner avoid stress and adds years to its service life so you don’t have to pay for a new air conditioner sooner than expected.
Contact Grove for Air Conditioner Tune Ups in Maryland
If you’re wondering what an AC tune includes, the pros at Grove Heating & Cooling are always happy to answer that question. Schedule your tune up today, and we’ll share how this important service protects your cooling system for years to come!
