As temperatures start to rise in Murphysboro, Illinois, you’re probably thinking about vacation plans and summertime activities. However, there’s another thing you should also be thinking about before the summer heat sets in: your air conditioner.
Think back to last summer. How was your air conditioner’s performance? Was it able to keep up with the high humidity? Did your air conditioner break down at all? All of these are things you might want to think about before you turn on your air conditioner for the first time, and air conditioning maintenance can put your mind at ease. But how often should air conditioning units be serviced? In our most recent blog, the team at Heartland Heating, Air & Plumbing discusses what is included in air conditioner maintenance and how often it should be done.
Why Your Air Conditioner Needs Maintenance
If you never went to the doctor, you might never know what’s going on inside of you. You might not know that your blood pressure is high, or why you get sick so frequently. The doctor will provide you insight by finding these bodily issues, and give you a plan on how to correct your health, which will ultimately help you live a longer life.
The same is true for your air conditioner. And just like going to the doctor, you should have air conditioner maintenance done every year. Ideally, you should schedule this appointment in the spring before you start running your air conditioner system regularly. Your HVAC technician will inspect your air conditioner, clean and lubricate any necessary parts and find potential problems and fix them before they evolve into bigger issues.
Once your HVAC system has been tuned up, it will run more efficiently. This is not only beneficial for your AC unit, but for your wallet as well. When your system uses less energy, you’ll notice it reflected in your summer cooling bills. A tune up also helps with performance. If you have hot and cold spots around your home, a tune up can help correct these problems. You’ll feel noticeably more comfortable with an improved air conditioner cooling your home.
Things You Can Do to Help Your Air Conditioner’s Performance This Summer
Besides making a maintenance appointment for your air conditioner this year, there are a few other things you can do to help your cooling system’s performance.
- Change your air filter. Air filters should be changed every 90 days, but some air conditioner filters should be changed more based on household contaminants in your air vents. Poor airflow caused by a clogged filter can cause many air conditioner performance problems.
- Brush away grass clippings, mulch, and other debris that have become stuck up against the unit’s fins.
- Weed out any vegetation growing up around the unit’s base.
- Trim back shrubs and trees near the unit.
- Remove any outdoor items stored up against the unit or in the immediate surrounding areas.
- Keep at least two feet of clear space open on all sides of your outdoor AC system.
- Make sure all the vents in your home are open. Closed registers even in unused rooms can cause strain on your system.
Maintenance Plans Make Sure You Never Miss Another Service Appointment
Heartland understands that yearly professional AC maintenance might not be your top priority. Life can get pretty hectic, and you might only notice there is something wrong with your air conditioner when it stops working. This is a bad habit to get into, and can be very costly. If you invest in air conditioning system maintenance ahead of time, your system will run better throughout the summer and be less likely to break down suddenly on you.
That’s why we’ve created affordable maintenance plans to help you stay on top of your HVAC maintenance. We’ll schedule your air conditioning and heating system maintenance for you, around your schedule. Members also receive additional perks such as priority emergency service and 15% off labor fees and heating and air conditioner repair parts. Contact Heartland to learn more and sign up for our maintenance plan.
Schedule Your Air Conditioner Maintenance with Heartland Today
Spring is the perfect time to schedule your regular maintenance. Don’t wait until the temperatures get warmer. The sooner you schedule your appointment, the sooner we can see you. If we do find a major issue where we may have to wait for parts to arrive, you can be comfortable in a home without air conditioning in the spring instead of being without a cooling system in the middle of July. Call Heartland Heating, Air & Plumbing today to have a professional HVAC tech service your air conditioner.