It may sound crazy to compare your air conditioning or heating unit to a vehicle but trust us, many homeowners thought the same thing until they experiences high priced problems that could have easily been prevented had they properly maintained their HVAC system.
Your air conditioner and heater/furnace have many, many complex mechanical parts that are designed to provide you with optimal comfort at the precise degree you request. Just like other complex mechanical devices, your HVAC system needs professional maintenance tune ups and upkeep to sustain the life that it was supposed to live. The sad news is that many people let their heating and cooling systems go unchecked for months, even years. This lack of HVAC love can be due to the system being “out of sight, out of mind,” plain procrastination or maybe even the unwillingness to part ways with the green stuff when the equipment seems to be working just fine. Taking your heating and cooling system for granted is easy, but when a big problem arises due to neglect, it can be a very, very, costly mistake.
Advanced AC tech Brian fixing leak.
Warning Signs it’s past time for HVAC maintenance:
Refrigerant Leaks
Your air conditioner needs the right amount of refrigerant in order to operate properly. If it has a leak, no matter how small, you’ll notice your air conditioner isn’t cooling properly. You may also hear a hissing noise coming from the unit. A visit from a handy dandy HVAC tech can quickly locate the problem and ensure that fluids are at capacity to run properly and cool your home.
Blocked Drain
Air conditioning systems have a condensate drain that can easily become blocked if not maintained properly. This can lead to multiple issues within your air conditioning unit, and reduce the efficiency and the ability to cool your home. If it remains blocked for long periods of time, you may notice water pooling around the unit. If it is located in the attic and becomes blocked, you may never notice until water overflows and drips onto the ceiling causing damage to the sheet rock below.
Dirty Ducts
It’s important to remember that your HVAC system operates not only with heating and cooling equipment, but also with duct work. It collectively impacts the quality of your air. Ducts accumulate dust and debris over time, which lowers your system’s efficiency. They can develop cracks and leaks, which allow more debris and even pests to enter the system.
These areas and more can be easily found and repaired when you have reoccurring, scheduled maintenance.
Potential Problems that you face by ignoring HVAC maintenance:
Energy Loss/Higher Operating Costs
Dirt buildup, clogged drains and leaky duct work are a few of the issues that diminish the efficiency of your HVAC system and make it work harder than it needs to. When the efficiency declines, operating costs rise.
Declining Comfort
A neglected HVAC system typically doesn’t produce the volume of cooled or heated air which can cause the unit to constantly cycle as it struggles to reach your desired temperature. You may find yourself setting the thermostat lower and lower in the summer and higher than normal in the winter just to maintain some sort of comfort.
Premature HVAC Replacement
A healthy life expectancy for an HVAC system is around 15 years, give or take a few. Regular maintenance not only extends the life of your system, it also allows you to plan the replacement of your system. If maintenance is put on the back burner, a system replacement may be in order, especially if an expensive and critical component such as the compressor and coils fail prematurely.
The last thing we want to do is scare you about your air conditioner or heating unit but as you can see, scheduled maintenance is an absolute must to prolonging the life of your HVAC system. Not to mention, the cost of a maintenance plan is considerably less than costly repairs.
Call today to learn more about Advanced AC’s maintenance package.
