When you install a new AC in your Easton, PA home, you expect it to provide reliable cooling for years. However, AC systems are machines, and like all machines, they can break down with little warning. When that happens, it’s inconvenient, and depending on the nature of the problem, it may require costly repairs. The good news is that there is a reasonably simple way to prevent unexpected AC failures. All it takes is an annual maintenance appointment. Here is a brief discussion about what you can expect during a maintenance visit as well as the benefits of regular air conditioning maintenance.
Reducing Unnecessary Wear and Tear
Whenever you turn on your AC, its components spring to life to cool the air in your home. Every moment that your AC runs, however, adds wear and tear to those components. There’s no way to avoid this. However, regular maintenance will reduce the stress on the system and help prevent unnecessary wear and tear.
During an AC maintenance appointment, one of the first tasks our technician performs is cleaning the blower motor. As your AC runs, it sucks in dust and dirt from all around your home. Although your HVAC air filter captures most of it, some particles escape and end up inside the blower. It may coat the blower wheel and the motor itself. That coating of dust increases the blower motor’s operating temperature and increases friction. A simple annual cleaning is all it takes to remedy that.
Another task our technician performs during a maintenance appointment is cleaning your AC evaporator coil. It can get dirty for the same reason the blower does. However, when dirt coats your evaporator coil, it has different effects than it does on the blower. The primary effect is that the dirt acts as an insulator, reducing the coil’s heat transfer efficiency. As a result, your AC will run for longer than necessary to achieve the same cooling effect. Additionally, a dirty evaporator coil can impede airflow through your AC, straining its blower motor in the process.
Provides an Opportunity for Early Intervention
During each maintenance appointment, our technician will inspect your system for signs of malfunction. If they find any, they’ll let you know and discuss your options. Often, catching a small problem early can forestall a bigger failure. In most cases, any proactive repair our technician recommends would be cheaper than a reactive repair after a breakdown.
For example, if our technician determines that your AC unit requires refrigerant, it probably means there’s a leak in the refrigerant line. Running your AC with low refrigerant can damage multiple system components. The most serious consequence of an unrepaired refrigerant leak is a compressor failure. That’s about the most expensive repair any AC can need. By becoming aware of and addressing a refrigerant leak early, you can prevent a compressor failure.
Increasing Overall System Lifespan
A well-maintained AC should last for about 15 years. A neglected one may last less than 10. That’s important as you consider your AC’s total lifetime repair costs. Imagine, for example, that your neglected AC suffers a single failure with a $500 repair cost. If you spread that cost over the neglected system’s projected 10-year lifespan, it comes to $50 per year. If your well-maintained AC suffered that same single failure, the cost works out to about $33 per year for 15 years. Additionally, every extra year your AC works reliably is one in which you don’t need to invest in a new unit.
Lower Lifetime Operating Costs
Finally, regular maintenance will also help keep your AC running efficiently year after year. According to some studies, an AC may lose up to 5% of its efficiency each year it goes without maintenance. That can have a noticeable impact on your home’s energy bills. An annual maintenance visit corrects the issues that cause those efficiency losses. While some losses are inevitable as your AC ages, minimizing them pays dividends on each electricity bill.
Local AC Maintenance Experts
Since 2008, Comfort Solutions HVAC has been a go-to provider of AC maintenance services in Easton. We’re a family-owned and operated business that prioritizes your family’s comfort. Our team of expert HVAC technicians has decades of combined experience. We also offer a maintenance agreement to make caring for your home’s air conditioning system more convenient. If you need an expert HVAC technician in Easton, call Comfort Solutions HVAC today!
