To ensure comfortable summers in Harrisonburg, VA, for years to come, you must be able to rely on your air conditioner. Taking steps to preserve its longevity pays off by delaying the need for a new system and can also help improve its energy efficiency and reduce the risk of repairs. Here are four practical tips for extending your air conditioner’s life expectancy.
1. Keep Your Filters Clean
Smooth and abundant airflow is absolutely essential to virtually every aspect of your AC’s performance. Anything that restricts airflow increases pressure on the system and, in turn, reduces energy efficiency and adds to the wear and tear on the equipment. Any prolonged increase in such pressure will make premature system failure much more likely to occur.
Dirty filters are among the most serious threats to airflow. If too much debris crowds onto your filters, it will become more difficult for your AC to both produce cool air and push it out into your home.
To make up for insufficient airflow, the AC must work longer than usual. This not only raises your electric bill, but it can also cause overheating and inflict serious damage on your system’s most important parts. The overheating may also lead to short cycling, which can be damaging in its own right.
If you have a traditional central AC system, we recommend changing the filters once every 30 to 90 days. If you have a ductless system, you may need to clean the filter roughly once every two weeks and replace it annually.
2. Never Neglect Professional Maintenance
While it’s easy to clean and replace air filters on your own, other longevity-promoting actions will require professional intervention. Over time, debris can make its way inside the system and coat the coils and other components. When the coils are dirty, the refrigerant in them can’t absorb heat from the air.
To prevent this detritus from harming your system, HVAC technicians must clean all hard-to-reach areas. During the service, our technicians also tighten various nuts, screws, and electrical wiring. Fan blades, both in the indoor and outdoor units, may move out of place, and regular maintenance can take care of such problems.
Finally, not every issue that afflicts your AC will be visible. During tune-ups, our technicians will examine your system and detect latent problems before they grow into major malfunctions. By identifying and fixing such things early, technicians can prolong your system’s service life.
HVAC industry professionals typically advise everyone to schedule AC maintenance every spring. This ensures the system is at optimal efficiency and ready for the summer ahead.
3. Raise Your Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
As mentioned above, airborne debris has the power to choke off the flow of air through your AC and eventually curtail its service life. It’s important to have an expert clean and maintain your AC to combat this problem, but it may also be wise to tackle things more directly.
We strongly advise you to take steps to raise your indoor air quality and remove the dust and other contaminants that may float in the air around you. There are various ways to do this, but the simplest is to invest in indoor air quality products like a whole-home air purifier or ventilator.
4. Buy a Smart Thermostat
If you don’t already own a smart thermostat, buying one may prove extremely beneficial. The precise controls and energy-saving features that these devices possess can help improve your AC’s efficiency and reduce the strain that it must endure. Over time, these positive effects can add up to substantially prolong your AC’s lifespan.
Anything that augments your AC’s ability to serve you will only maximize your investment. By implementing our tips, you can enjoy a long series of pleasant summers in Harrisonburg, VA. To keep your system running well for as long as possible, call Valley Air Heating, Cooling & Plumbing, and sign up for our AC services today.
As a family-owned and operated company, we take tremendous pride in offering the best solutions at the most affordable price for homeowners in Harrisonburg, VA, and the surrounding areas. We also provide 24-hour emergency services and a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee.
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