Like your car, your home’s HVAC system needs regular maintenance in order to extend its lifespan. One of the best times of year for a tune up is right when you stop using your AC for the summer. This is especially true if it’s been an exceptionally hot one.
Some of the following maintenance tips may be something you are comfortable with doing on your own. But, if you aren’t you can always get in touch with our team of experts.
Keep an Eye on Hours
The very first tip is not necessarily something you do at the very end of your AC usage. But, it’s more something you should keep in mind while it’s still warm out.
It’s important to understand that every single AC unit has only so many hours of usage before it goes kaput. A unit that runs 24 hours a day and 7 days a week for 4 or 5 months straight is most likely going to need to be replaced much sooner than one that only runs several hours a day over a 10 to 12 week period.
So, taking it easy on usage by using fans, keeping your blinds or curtains closed, and taking advantage of smart thermostats can add years to your AC’s life. It can also save you money on your energy bills.
Give it a Nice Cleaning
While a properly functioning AC unit is something you rarely give a second thought about, just because it’s out of sight does not mean it’s not doing some serious work. It processes a tremendous amount of air.
All of that air contains some form of contaminant. Even the cleanest of air still has plenty of dust in it, which is actually mostly made up of human skin which has flaked off.
At the end of every cycle, getting inside the unit and replacing the air filter is a must. A dirty air filter will inhibit your air conditioner’s ability to do its job when you want to use it again next season.
You will also want to keep the area around the unit clean as nothing good can come from having a lot of debris like twigs and leaves around. You should do this again before using your AC next year too.
Replace What Cannot be Repaired
Sometimes, preventative maintenance might not be enough. If your unit is old and already has a ton of hours of usage logged, when it goes, it might be gone for good.
You can of course try to get a skilled tech to do everything in their power to keep it going, but the repair costs and inefficiency might be more expensive over the long haul than getting a new and better performing unit.
Taking the short term hit can feel like a gut punch at first, but it’s much better than the death by a thousand cuts that a truly shot system is going to give you.
In Summary
It may sound silly, but end of season AC maintenance starts well before the end of the season. Minimizing your unit’s hours as well as keeping it clean both during and after its peak usage will do wonders for extending its lifespan.
If you aren’t comfortable with the DIY approach to your AC’s maintenance, the team at BWS Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning is here to help.
