Keeping your air conditioner running reliably and efficiently requires regular maintenance and attention. Without expert maintenance, your cooling system is more likely to break down when the stresses of summer push it beyond its ability to function.

Regular preventive maintenance keeps your system running as it should and allows an expert to find and fix small problems before they get worse.

Preventive inspection and maintenance lets a trained HVAC professional evaluate the condition of your system and make changes, adjustments and repairs that will sustain the unit’s performance. If any parts of your air conditioner are wearing out sooner than they should, your technician can locate the source of the wear and stop it. Preventive maintenance also pays off financially: Regular tune-ups can keep an air conditioner operating at up to 95 percent efficiency, even after several seasons.

Your technician will inspect your system and complete maintenance tasks. Those tasks may include::

• Checking and filling the refrigerant and checking for leaks
• Inspecting, cleaning and tightening electrical connections
• Inspecting and sealing ducts to prevent air and energy leaks
• Lubricating moving parts, including fans and motors
• Inspecting belts for tightness and condition
• Inspecting drain pans and condensate drains
• Checking and cleaning condenser and evaporator coils
• Checking and calibrating the thermostat
• Testing overall system operation and making necessary adjustments

You can do some maintenance tasks yourself, such as:

• Cleaning the outdoor compressor and removing accumulated grass, leaves, sticks and other material from vents
• Trimming trees, grass, bushes and other vegetation away from the unit to provide clearance for airflow
• Cleaning indoor vents and registers and clearing any blockages
• Changing filters (Check monthly, and change if needed; otherwise, change every three months.)

By doing some of the minor tasks yourself, you’ll free up your technician’s time to focus on technical issues and repairs.

For 50 years, Conditioned Air has provided top-notch air conditioning sales, maintenance and repair to residential and commercial customers in Naples and Southwest Florida. Contact us for more information on maintenance or to schedule a professional air conditioner tune-up that will keep your system working reliably throughout the summer.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about air conditioners and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

Preventive maintenance image via Shutterstock