Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Air Conditioning Maintence
Air
Conditioning Maintenance
Maintain your equipment
to prevent future problems and unwanted costs. Keep your cooling and heating
system at peak performance by having a contractor do annual pre-season
check-ups. Contractors get busy once summer and winter come, so it's best to
check the cooling system in the spring and the heating system in the fall. To
remember, you might plan the check-ups around the time changes in the spring
and fall.
A typical maintenance check-up should include the following.
A typical maintenance check-up should include the following.
·
Check
thermostat settings to ensure the
cooling and heating system keeps you comfortable when you are home and saves
energy while you are away.
·
Tighten
all electrical connections and
measure voltage and current on motors. Faulty electrical connections can cause
unsafe operation of your system and reduce the life of major components.
·
Lubricate
all moving parts. Parts that lack
lubrication cause friction in motors and increases the amount of electricity
you use.
·
Check
and inspect the condensate drain in your central air conditioner, furnace and/or heat pump
(when in cooling mode). A plugged drain can cause water damage in the house and
affect indoor humidity levels.
·
Check
controls of the system to ensure proper
and safe operation. Check the starting cycle of the equipment to assure the
system starts, operates, and shuts off properly.
Cooling Specific
·
Clean
evaporator and condenser air conditioning coils. Dirty coils reduce the system's ability to
cool your home and cause the system to run longer, increasing energy costs and
reducing the life of the equipment.
·
Check
your central air conditioner's refrigerant level and adjust if necessary. Too much or too
little refrigerant will make your system less efficient increasing energy costs
and reducing the life of the equipment.
·
Clean
and adjust blower components to
provide proper system airflow for greater comfort levels. Airflow problems can
reduce your system's efficiency by up to 15 percent.
Heating Specific
·
Check
all gas (or oil) connections, gas pressure, burner combustion and heat
exchanger. Improperly
operating gas (or oil) connections are a fire hazard and can contribute to
health problems. A dirty burner or cracked heat exchanger causes improper
burner operation. Either can cause the equipment to operate less safely and
efficiently.
Actions To Do Yourself
·
Inspect,
clean, or change air filters once
a month in your central air conditioner, furnace, and/or heat pump. Your
contractor can show you how to do this. A dirty filter can increase energy
costs and damage your equipment, leading to early failure.
Resource:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)