Preventing Emergency Repairs With AC Maintenance Tips

It should be a homeowner’s goal to avoid emergency repairs.
During the high heat of summer in Texas, basic air conditioning maintenance is crucial to ensuring in-home comfort.
No one likes being backed into a corner by necessary emergency AC repair costs that result from neglect.

Are you properly exercising your homeowner duties by performing routine maintenance on your AC system?

Routine AC Maintenance Tips Every Homeowner Should Try

• Keep vegetation – shrubs, flowers, grass, weeds and branches – from interfering with the unit. The key is to maintain a perimeter of three feet around the unit.
• Clean air vents once a year. Remove the coverings and use an extension hose on your vacuum cleaner to clear dust and debris.
• Inspect the air filters monthly and replace if dirty. Filters capture dust, become moldy and restrict airflow. At a minimum, be sure to replace the filter once every three months.
• Keep boxes, carpets and furniture away from air vents and floor grates to keep airflow unrestricted.
• Check the condition of condenser coils, as these will degrade significantly over time when exposed to unfiltered air. Seek the help of a professional to clean condenser coils.
• Create a solution of water and bleach (approximately 10 percent bleach), and pour that solution down the condensate drain. This drain must remained unclogged to prevent the AC unit from working harder than necessary.
• Maintain the best thermostat setting to keep your home comfortable and your AC use cost efficient. A programmable or smart thermostat helps to regulate temperatures while you’re away from home.

Watch For Signs Of Impending Emergency Repairs

A rise in energy bills when the cost of electricity has remained unchanged is one sign that something isn’t right with your unit.

Older air conditioning systems tend to work harder, require more frequent maintenance intervals and are more expensive to repair when broken. If your air conditioning system is more than 10 years old, routine inspections are important for ensuring the health of the system and a comfortable climate in your home. In any case, performing yearly maintenance on new and old AC systems is important for maintaining manufacturers’ warranties and optimum cooling efficiency.

If you notice one room is cooling more quickly than another and the rooms are comparable in size, this points to a problem with your air conditioner.

Above all, if the problem with your unit appears to be electrical, save those kinds of repairs for trained professionals.

Stick To Routine Maintenance To Avoid Emergency Repairs

Even when all signs point to a healthy system, the mileage adds up. This is why you should aim to schedule a routine cleaning and maintenance inspection once a year. The ideal time for yearly maintenance is before turning your system on in the spring to ensure it operates optimally all summer long and keeps your family cool.

Get more insight into DIY repair tips you can try before calling your local HVAC company by downloading our tip sheet.

Author Bio:

Ronald Via

Ronald is one of the key contributors to BVS Home Experts, a family-owned and operated full-service air conditioning and heating company serving the Katy and West Houston areas. With a deep understanding of air conditioning and heating concerns, Ronald brings a wealth of knowledge to our readers.