At this point in the summer, if you haven’t had your annual AC maintenance done, you might be wondering if you should just wait until next spring. No! You should schedule that maintenance right away. While it is common to have your air conditioner’s yearly checkup done before the summer really kicks into gear, the most important thing about maintenance is not what time of year it’s done—it’s that you have it done every single year. Here’s why.
Efficiency
After a long Louisiana summer’s hard work last year, your air conditioner’s efficiency dropped by about 5%. By the end of this summer, it’ll have dropped again. Ten percent less efficient means paying more every time your electric bill is due. And nobody wants that!
Effectiveness
Even though your air conditioner will be working harder and using more energy, it will actually be less effective at cooling your home. Dust coating the interior will reduce airflow, and dust blanketing the evaporator coils will insulate them, making it harder for the refrigerant to take in the heat from your home. Lack of lubrication will interfere with motors and slow down fans. It can even cause so much friction that the motor overheats. At first, it will keep tripping the limit switch, shutting down the air conditioner when it detects that heat, making it even harder to keep your house cool.
Repair Needs
If that motor overheats too much, the wiring that makes it function can get so hot that it fuses together, completely shorting out the motor. This is one way that missed air conditioner maintenance in West Monroe, LA can lead to repair needs. There are many other components that can be affected by lack of maintenance, or that might have started to have a small problem last summer which could be caught early during maintenance so repair needs could be avoided. This could be an inexpensive component like the belt or fan, but allowing the problem to worsen can affect other components. The one you really don’t want to damage is the expensive, irreplaceable compressor. Lack of airflow, dust-coated coils, and overheating motors can all cause the compressor to work overtime, and if it is stressed to the point of failure, you’ll probably need a new air conditioner.
Lifespan
All of these issues cause system strain, aging the components beyond their years. Lack of maintenance significantly reduces the number of years you can expect your air conditioner to keep running before you have to buy a new one. In fact, an air conditioner that never gets maintenance might only last half as long as one that’s maintained every year.
Warranty
If your air conditioner isn’t very old yet, and you have had maintenance done in previous years, it may still be covered by warranty. This means the manufacturer might cover some costs that come up, such as replacing a component. But you should check your warranty agreement. It almost certainly stipulates that professional maintenance has to be done every year. Don’t lose out on those benefits by skipping it this year!
Contact Mike Smith Heating & Air Conditioning, LLC. We provide “Professional grade service.”