Heating and Air Conditioning

Air Conditioning Service And Maintenance

THE MATERIAL CONTAINED IN THIS ARTICLE IS PROVIDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE PROFESSIONAL ADVICE.LANDMARK HOME WARRANTY DOES NOT PURPORT TO BE A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT WITH REGARD TO THIS MATERIAL, AND YOU SHOULD CONDUCT YOUR OWN RESEARCH AND/OR SEEK THE ADVICE OF APPROPRIATELY QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS WITH REGARD TO YOUR SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES BEFORE YOU TAKE ACTION. LANDMARK HOME WARRANTY ASSUMES NO RESPONSIBILITY, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY, FOR YOUR USE OF ANY AND ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN.


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Take Care of Your Air Conditioning Needs Before the Heat of Summer

In our last post, we discussed how you can maintain your HVAC system. In this post, we'll talk about what services a professional should offer when they're servicing your air conditioner.

After all, spring is the perfect time to service your air conditioner before the heat of summer arrives. Landmark Home Warranty is currently offering pre-season tune-ups for homeowners who are looking to get a jump start in Idaho, Utah and Oregon.

Air conditioning systems failures during summertime can often be prevented if the units are serviced earlier in the year. Tune-ups for your air conditioning unit are cost-effective ways to make your system more energy efficient and long-lasting. If regularly serviced and maintained by the homeowner, the life of your air cooling system can last around 20 years.

Maintenance and Service will increase your HVAC's lifespan

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Maintenance

Obviously, having a technician service your HVAC unit isn't the only thing you should be doing to keep it running for a long time. Routine maintenance on your air conditioning unit, whether your home has central air or you use window units, is essential to keeping it working efficiently and consistently. The most important task is to clean or replace the filters to ensure a steady flow of air. When airflow is restricted, the ability of the system to run efficiently is significantly reduced, causing the unit to use more energy and raise your electric bill. When filters are not replaced or cleaned, the energy consumption of your air conditioner can increase anywhere from five to 15 percent.

not maintaining your hvac system increases your energy consumption
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Hire Someone Who Will Clean your Condenser Coils

While the amount of dirt that enters the air conditioning unit may be limited with a clean filter, there is still buildup over time. Condenser coils should be cleaned yearly in order to prevent otherwise avoidable buildup of dust and debris. The condition of the condenser coils is particularly important to monitor, because the coil fins are fully exposed to harsh weather conditions (year round for permanent exterior units). Drain ports, which distribute moisture to be evaporated by the coils, can also become clogged with dirt. When these ports are not thoroughly cleaned, water leakage may become a problem. This cleaning can and should be done by a HVAC professional. Landmark includes one HVAC tune-up in the spring and fall that includes this cleaning.

Even with consistent cleanings and servicing over the year, parts do wear out and break down. The good news is that many home warranties cover these systems and appliances when they fail from normal wear and tear. If you've provided your system with preventative maintenance over the years, warranties can cover the replacement cost of your air conditioning system and discount labor and parts for its repair.

Hiring the Right People

When it comes to seeking help for your cooling system needs, you need to hire a professional. Technicians should be able to do a variety of things, which include monitoring the refrigerant for the correct levels, discovering possible leaks, and carrying out proper sealing procedures. Your HVAC system professional should be able to check the amount of airflow through the air conditioning coils as well as the flow of electricity into the central system.

Some upkeep, like changing filters, can be carried out by homeowners, but it's important to hire professionals to do more thorough checks on your cooling system since the experts can discover any potential problems. Hiring someone with the know-how and all the right tools to efficiently service and get accurate readings on your cooling system helps preserve the lifespan of your unit and lower your energy costs. You should hire someone who:

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  • Cleans condenser coils 
  • Cleans and tightens electrical connections
  • Cleans or replace filters (owner supplied). 
  • Checks refrigerant levels
  • Checks contacts and condensation lines
  • Checks and calibrates thermostat
  • Performs amp draw on condenser motor, evaporator motor, and compressor

We know spring can be a busy season. Don't forget to check "air conditioning maintenance" off your spring cleaning checklist. Consider Landmark Home Warranty for all your air conditioning needs. We will make sure your air conditioner is serviced before summer sets in if you purchase a tune-up so you're not stuck in the house suffering the sweltering heat.

Sources

https://www.angieslist.com/articles/how-often-does-air-conditioner-need-service.htm

https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=heat_cool.pr_maintenance

https://www.handymanhowto.com/clean-straighten-ac-condenser-coils/

http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-maintain-an-air-conditioner5.htm

http://energy.gov/energysaver/maintaining-your-air-conditioner

HVAC Articles

How does your air conditioner work? What can you do to make sure your HVAC system keeps running for its entire lifespan? These articles will help answer your questions about the heating and cooling systems in your home

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