How to Maintain Your AC System

Most stories have an ending and, way more often than not, you have no control over the ending. It could be happy, sad, or neutral, but you have to wait it out to find out which one.

But sometimes we can control how things turn out, or at least strongly influence them. And that goes for the story of your central air conditioning system. The ultimate outcome, of course, is that “it dies.” No way around it. What you can control, however, is how long it lasts. If you want it to die off as quickly as possible, for example, you’ll have it installed and never touch it again until a problem arises. If, however, you want to keep it working and in great shape for as long as possible, you’ll approach things very differently.

Here’s just some of what you can do to extend the lifespan of your AC system and prevent repair problems along the way: Periodically check your thermostat settings to make sure they’re correct and weren’t accidentally changed by one of your kids.

Clean or replace the filter according to the manufacturer’s instructions. A dirty or clogged forces your system to work harder to deliver the desired temperature, and that means added wear and tear plus higher energy costs.

Keep weeds and shrubs away from your outdoor condensing unit. Otherwise they can restrict the heat transfer process and impede your system’s performance.

Using your garden hose in the “jet spray” (or comparable) setting, clean the fins on the outdoor unit periodically to remove any built-up dirt or debris. Do not, however, use a pressure washer for this purpose as it will likely damage the fins.

Check inside your vents and registers for mold. The last thing you need is mold and mildew blowing through your house and all the upper respiratory ailments they can cause or aggravate.

Keep clothes, furniture, window treatments, and everything else away from vents and registers to help your system deliver more cool air using less energy than otherwise would be required.

Here’s another great way to protect your investment in conditioned air: contact Comfort AC our air conditioning cleaning and inspection service. It’s a service that should be performed once a year, even if you have a newer system. By keeping up with preventative maintenance, you’ll go even farther in keeping your system in top shape for many years to come.