An integral part of our lives, an air conditioner is designed to resist all kind of abuse and keep house cool. But just like our vehicles, air conditioners need repair to be fine tuned in order to run properly. An unmaintained air conditioner will use up to 60% energy to cool the room. This means that the once bought air conditioner with 13 SEER units, authorized by the U.S. Department of Energy, will come down to 9 SEER units today! This lost efficiency can be restored with regular maintenance, say up to 95% of its original efficiency in the form of electricity bill and repair charges. A well serviced air conditioner will do a good job of dehumidifying the room.

Air conditioner service season

It is best to service your air conditioner before summer or fall. A thorough service will ensure that when the outside temperatures get hot or cold, the units will work efficiently. During March and April, it can be windy, dusty and pollen levels can be high. It is at this time the compressor inside the air conditioner, that usually pumps refrigerant, accumulates the dust. Even the coils surrounding the compressor can get filled with dirt and debris, thereby causing the compressor to waver. Refrigerant helps to keep the room cool.

Servicing should include checking and cleaning the unit coils, compressor amp draw, fan motors to be oiled, belts should be attuned, pressure and temperature levels. Also the coolant level, earlier known as Freon, needs to be checked because a system that is low on coolant will cost double to function. Freon, if released into the atmosphere, can damage the ozone layer.

In addition to servicing, buy good filters and change them on a regular basis, keep bushes away from the outside unit of the AC and ensure that air supply outlets in the house are not closed. This could be harmful in the overall functioning of the AC.

It’s amazing to see that air conditioning and heating systems getting spoilt when you need them the most, say when you’re having a party, children are feeling home-sick or when your spouse is out of town. That is why it is necessary to get servicing done when it is important rather than depending on your technician’s convenient time. For better efficiency and good life span, get a qualified AC technician to biannual servicing of your air conditioner.