The Importance of Maintaining Your Air Conditioner | Heating and Air Conditioning Service in Fort Worth, TX
Even the most robust air conditioners are not immune to dust, dirt and other sources of pollutants. Regular maintenance is important to ensure proper performance of your air conditioner so you can get round the clock cooling and save costly energy bills. Only proper maintenance will allow your air conditioning and heating equipment to continue working economically for years to come. While there are several easy steps that you can implement in your daily life to maximize your air conditioner’s life, there are certain actions you simply cannot perform without the aid of a professional heating and air conditioning service in Fort Worth, TX.
At the end of the day, the average homeowner would ask themselves a very justifiable question, “why should I even bother?” To answer this, we will look at some of the statistics provided by scientists at the US Department of Energy. Air conditioners consume more than 6% of all the electricity produced in the United States, costing about $29 billion to homeowners. The result of this wanton usage releases roughly 118 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the air every year, and that is not good for the environment no matter who you ask. While air conditioning maintenance will save you a tremendous amount in energy bills down the road, it will also restrict the release of a large percentage of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. It’s like killing two birds with one stone.
Your air conditioner loses more than 5 percent of its overall efficiency every year because of negligence, lack of maintenance or a combination of both. The energy costs that you can save due to a properly functioning air conditioner means that you should start taking it more seriously by hiring a professional heating and air conditioning service in Fort Worth, TX. Remember that taking care of the environment is our collective effort, and if a simple maintenance work could make even a tiny dent into the amount of carbon dioxide gas we release, it will mean we have made progress.
Every small effort you make as a homeowner takes us one step closer towards a greener earth. But here’s the deal, even if climate change is the least of your concerns and the energy savings promised by routine maintenance work simply not worth your time, you should still do it for health and safety reasons. Researchers have correlated several health-related risks with poor air quality from dysfunctional air conditioners. Routine maintenance from a professional heating and air conditioning service in Fort Worth, TX can greatly reduce or even eliminate the risk of allergies and spread of deadly toxins into the air.
For what it’s worth, regular maintenance will keep your old air conditioner up to at least 96 percent of its original efficiency. So even if your unit has lost efficiency because it exceeded its warranty, you can still get it running at almost peak levels.
What should a routine air conditioning inspection include?
- The amount of refrigerant in your unit should be tested for its levels frequently. It is very common for air conditioners to lose their cooling capacity simply because of a leak that is taking place somewhere in the unit. These leaks are not only dangerous for the environment, but also decrease the cooling efficiency of your air conditioner and spiking up your energy bills. In fact, researchers have found that a 10 percent loss of coolant can cost the home owner a 20 percent increase in their electricity bills.
- The professional heating and air conditioning service in Fort Worth, TX will be on the lookout for electrical readings across the unit. This includes amperage, capacitance, voltage and resistance readings against is the manufacturer’s recommendation. If there is any discrepancy in the readings, then it will raise a red flag about your air conditioner underperforming or taking up too much electricity.
- There are moving parts in your air conditioner. As is the case with any mechanical device that relies on smooth movement, your unit will require regular lubrication. Your technician will check for vulnerable spots which are deprived of lubrication. This will greatly reduce friction between parts and allow them to move without resistance.
- The fan motors are an integral component of your air conditioner. Their basic task is to take up all the absorbed heat from the coolant and dispose it off into the environment. The fan motors will require adequate lubrication to move without friction. Their internal electrical circuitry will also have to be checked for any errors in their values. If the fan motor is not operating properly, your air conditioning unit will fail to properly cool the room and struggle keeping the heat out. It will become increasingly difficult to reach the desired temperatures set by the user and energy bills will spike up because your unit is now forced to work extra hard to keep up.
- If the drain lines get choked up with dirt and debris, the pathway for condensed water to flow out will get blocked. This is highly undesirable because all the condensed water will find a way to ‘regurgitate’ back into the air conditioner. Not only will this freeze up your coils, the water will also trickle down as tiny little droplets, leaving you wondering where all this ‘rain’ is coming from.
While rudimentary counter measures such as cleaning the air filter with a dry towel and slightly patting the air conditioner’s flapper with your hands work, they simply don’t and won’t compete with a professional heating and air conditioning service in Fort Worth, TX.
Getting a professional electrician is always a better option than making pure – and frankly dangerous – conjectures based on DIY videos on YouTube and social media. At One Hour Heating and Air, we know just how important your air conditioner is to you. With highly trained individuals at work, we ensure that your unit continues to work at maximum efficiency while driving down energy costs. We care for the environment and for your bills. Give us a call today for a free audit!