5 AC Maintenance Tips to Enhance the Functionality of Your Unit

The following 5 AC maintenance tips may keep your AC unit running smooth for years

Your air conditioner manages the temperatue, removes excess humidity, helps eliminate the mold and musty odors, and provides improved air quality indoors. To ensure that your AC performs all these tasks for a long time, you need to routinely maintain the air conditioner unit. With regular AC maintenance, you can assist your air conditioner into running smoothly and reducing the chances of unexpected serious problems or breaking down. If you want to do some of the maintenance tasks for your air conditioner yourself, make sure that you wear appropriate safety gear and cut off the power supply to your AC. You can get started with the five AC maintenance tips mentioned below to enhance the functionality of your unit.

Not ready to DIY? Call Russell Heating & Air today for a quote on maintaining your AC professionally.

AC maintenance tips: 5 essential tasks

1. Keep the air filters clean or replace them

Air conditioners include air filters typically located behind the return air grille and inside the blower compartment. Filters catch air contaminants like dust, debris, mold, and pet dander to prevent them from interfering with the functionality of your unit and keep your breathable air cleaner. Unfortunately, these air filters get dirty and clogged over time with these air contaminants, which can impact the airflow of your AC and slow it down considerably. That’s when you need to either clean the air filters (if they are reusable) or replace them (if they are the disposable kind). Remember to do it once per month, especially during the summer when the load on your AC increases. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, replacing a dirty, clogged filter with a clean one can lower your air conditioner’s energy consumption by 5% to 15%. Of all the AC maintenance tips you may read, this is the one that is easiest to handle on your own and has the greatest overall impact.

2. Inspect the condenser cabinet

A condenser cabinet is an important part of an AC consisting of the coil, compressor, fan, and various controls. It is located in the exterior air conditioner unit for collecting or releasing heat depending on the weather conditions. You can inspect the condenser cabinet for cracks, melted insulation, burned wires, and signs of overheating. If you spot any problems, you should contact your local AC repair company for maintenance immediately before it causes severe damage to the entire unit.

3. Flush the drain lines

An air conditioner needs the drain lines to flow uninterrupted so that its efficiency isn’t compromised at any stage. But when these drain lines are not clear due to pollutants like algae, dust, and mold, it can’t remove excess water and moisture from the AC unit. In this case, you will notice the drain pan full of water and possibly some flooding. To get rid of this problem, you can use a small amount of bleach or vacuum cleaner to flush the drain lines. If you’re feeling unsure about performing this job on your own, a local HVAC company can help.

4. Install and use a smart thermostat

The thermostat is one of the most critical components of AC as it helps control the temperature in an indoor space. When you leave your home for work or any other reason, you might forget to adjust the temperature on the thermostat. It costs you unnecessary expenses on energy consumption and overworks your air conditioner to have it running full blast when no one is home. But you can resolve this problem by investing in a smart thermostat. Unlike a mechanical thermostat, the smart thermostat allows you to program the temperature of your AC unit from wherever you are. Furthermore, when you set the temperature to adjust automatically for when you’re home and away, your air conditioner gets used more efficiently, and you will reduce your electricity bill.

5. Schedule regular AC maintenance

An air conditioner working at its optimum capacity is not only a matter of giving you luxury or comfort but also a matter of keeping your health and safety intact. In the south, the summer months can get very hot and muggy, with temperatures exceeding 90 degrees and relative humidity going over 75%. To combat this heat and moisture, you should have regular AC maintenance checks done by professionals. It can save you money on costly repairs on the air conditioner unit and reduce your power costs considerably.

When should you hire an AC maintenance company?

Once you implement these AC maintenance tips routinely, your air conditioner will deliver optimal performance for a long time. When your AC shows signs of wear and tear or suffers any damage even when you maintain it properly, you should hire the services of an AC maintenance company. Russell Heating & Air in Canton, GA provides you with the best repair and maintenance services for your AC to make sure that it works effectively and efficiently without fail. Call us today to get a quote on professional AC maintenance to upkeep the unit and ensure its longevity.