Why A/C Tune-Ups are Best at the End of the Season

A/C tune-ups should be on your list of things to do with summer officially coming to an end. Air conditioners are built to last up to 15-20 years, if well maintained, but over time they can break down and lose their efficiency. It’s easy to forget your air conditioner once the cooler temperatures set in and it’s time to turn on the furnace. Yet that transitional period between summer and fall is the right time to thoroughly inspect your air conditioner, and schedule an ac tune-up.

How an Early A/C Tune-Up Benefits You

Proper maintenance involves catching the problems early. Scheduling an A/C tune-up during the late summer or early fall gives you plenty of time to budget, fix, and prepare your air conditioner for the following year. Major repairs are expensive, and no homeowner wants to deal with a busted air conditioner when it’s hot and humid outside. A/C tune-ups are recommended at least once a year, as they prevent your air conditioner from breaking down and keep it running effectively. Here’s how an early seasonal A/C tune-up can benefit you.

  • You save money. Annual A/C tune-ups prevent a majority of damages and keep your air conditioner running efficiently. In fact, homeowners who frequently tune up their air conditioners can expect to save up to 15 percent of their monthly utility bills. The cost of inspection and tune-up in comparison are much cheaper than replacing a condenser or the entire A/C unit, and worth the cost.
  • Your air conditioner lasts longer. Air conditioners that aren’t properly maintained are lucky to even last their warranty; some will only make it to 7 years versus 15-20. The less your A/C unit has to overwork itself to cool and ventilate your home, the longer it lasts.
  • You stay comfortable. A/C tune-ups not only ensure your air conditioner lasts up to its warranty but that it runs efficiently and effectively. A cleaned air conditioner results in good ventilation and air flow. By inspecting and tuning up your air conditioner at the end of the season, you’re ensuring each component inside your conditioner is working properly. A late summer, early fall tune-up means you won’t have to worry about it breaking down next summer.

How You Can Prevent A/C Problems

Annual A/C tune-ups are important, but there’s much more you can do to keep your air conditioner up and running. The more time and effort put into taking care of your air conditioner, the earlier you catch potential problems before they can even happen. Knowing is half the battle, and luckily there are several things you can do before scheduling an appointment with the HVAC technician. Here’s what you can do to help keep your air conditioner functioning.

  • Clean/replace the air filter. Over time your air conditioner collects dust, allergens, dirt, and other debris. Dirty air filters can clog your A/C unit and prevent proper air flow, making your air conditioner overwork itself until it breaks down. Dirty filters also mean dirty air is circulating throughout your home. You air filters should be replaced every one to two months.
  • Check thermostat. An easy way to check if your air conditioner is running correctly is by closely monitoring your thermostat. If you notice the temperature reading on your thermometer is consistently a few degrees higher than usual, then there could either be something wrong with the A/C unit. There could also be something emitting heat close by that’s tricking your thermometer.
  • Make room for ventilation. Your air conditioner works to circulate cool air throughout your house, but it can’t properly do that with a poor air flow. Removing any obstructing furniture or objects ensures your air conditioner doesn’t have to overwork itself to ventilate.
  • Clean the outside ac unit. Just as important it is to clean the ac unit that sits inside your house, it’s equally important to clean the A/C unit that sits outside your house. It’s helpful to keep a clear space surrounding your outdoor A/C unit, as well as removing any plants, leaves, and debris so it has a proper air flow.
  • Clean evaporator drain. The evaporator coil inside your air conditioner works to absorb the heat and humidity in the air before it turns it into the chilled air to circulate back throughout the house. Over time, enough moisture condensates and water drips down into a drain below. Your evaporator drain can clog, however, which poses a problem for mold, flooding, and other ac problems. Checking and cleaning your air conditioner’s evaporator drain is another way to keep your A/C maintained.

Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late

The worst thing you can do is wait last minute for an A/C tune-up, especially if the summer season is hot and miserable. An early A/C tune up gives you plenty of time to thoroughly inspect and repair your air conditioner. Don’t wait until you’re sweating bullets and have an emergency on your hands, contact a Radiant HVAC technician today.

Call Radiant Plumbing & Air Conditioning at 833-656-4056 today to learn more about A/C tune-ups!

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