Monday, September 9, 2013

Routine Air Conditioning Maintenance Can Prevent Costly AC Repair

By Greg Nickels


As winter comes to an end, locals know they will only enjoy a few weeks until they will need to turn their mechanical systems in the home to cooling. Just as with automobiles, these units need regular maintenance. With regular service more expensive AC repair can often be eliminated.

Dirty Coils in a unit can prevent air flow so the unit cannot cool the home properly. Continuing to operate the cooling with dirty coils will make it work harder to cool the home and increase the cost of air conditioning. Unfortunately, the additional strain on the other parts can cause premature failure of the unit.

Systems use coolant that is often called by the name Freon for heat transfer. If levels of coolant in an AC unit are low, it is less efficient and uses more electricity. Eventually, the system may stop cooling. Sometimes the low levels of coolant causes compressors to freeze up resulting in damage that cannot be repaired.

Every time the thermostat turns on the compressor, the electrical contacts make a small arc, that over time causes pitting. Eventually this switch must be replaced as it no longer allows proper completion of the circuit. In some instances, if the pitting continues, the system may no longer operate to provide cooling at all.

Air handlers force large air volumes through cooling coils and ducts into the home. Leaky ducts can cause several problems. They allow warm air from the attic or other space to enter the house and increase cooling load. They can also increase the dust in a home, causing coils to become blocked by particulate material.

One of the keys to prevent ac repair is regular maintenance. Small problems can be discovered and fixed before the unit fails. Having the unit inspected and maintained is a key to efficient operation.




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