Summers around Joplin get warm and humid, and you’re always thankful that your air conditioner offers some relief. You may not realize it but neglecting AC maintenance puts that comfort at risk. Consider these five critical tasks included with professional annual maintenance.
1. Deep Cleaning
One of the most important tasks included with your annual AC maintenance is deep cleaning. Critical areas of your system get clogged with various airborne contaminants that restrict the airflow through the system. These restrictions reduce your system’s ability to effectively cool and dehumidify your home.
At your indoor unit, our technicians will clean the evaporator coil and circulating fan. Then on the outside unit, they’ll clean the condensing coil. This task is critical for maintaining your system’s efficiency and keeping your utility bills from skyrocketing.
2. Hardware and Connection Tightening
Any mechanical system creates vibrations as it runs, including your air conditioner. This causes mounting hardware on the circulating fan, compressor, and condensing fan blades to loosen. Once loosened, these parts create additional movement, which strains the motors and compressor, leading to needless repairs.
The various electrical connections throughout the system also loosen over time due to the vibration. With loose electrical connections, extra movement increases electrical resistance, causing additional heat. This wears on components and the connections themselves, damaging the entire system. Our technicians will inspect each connection, ensuring each is tight to reduce unusual electrical resistance.
3. Appropriate Lubrication
Your circulating and condensing fan motors each contain bearings that allow them to spin appropriately. Depending on the age and model of your air conditioner, they may need lubricating. If a fan that requires lubricating goes neglected, it causes the bearings to seize up, burning out the motor. Your technician will check the kind of motor you have and lubricate it if needed.
4. Condensate Drain Cleaning
One of the hidden benefits of an air conditioner is the dehumidifying it provides as it runs. When the air moving through the system hits the cold evaporator coil, the moisture condenses on the coil. As this collects, it eventually drips from the coils onto the drip pan below your indoor unit.
That drip pan should have a drain to prevent this condensate from collecting and causing damage. However, that condensate may also contain little bits of metal from within the system. Over time, this builds up in the drain, causing a clog. Your technician will inspect the drain and clean it to ensure that it’s flowing properly.
5. System Inspection and Testing
Finally, our technicians will test the major components of your system for signs they’re operating well. They’ll also test the level of refrigerant in the system, which can indicate a system leak if it’s low. If they uncover anything unusual, you have the opportunity to resolve it before it causes significant damage to your system.
Don’t wait for the summer heat to stress your air conditioner and find out you have a problem. Call to schedule your AC maintenance appointment with our expert technicians at Upland Servicing today.
