If you’ve read our blog before, you’ve likely seen us tout the benefits of maintenance. There’s a good reason for this, which we’ll get to below. But a common question our customers have about this service is, “what exactly does a technician do during maintenance?”
We get it, you care about where your money is going, so perhaps you may wonder if the maintenance service you’re paying for is worth it. We’re sure you also care about how efficiently your air conditioner functions, since after all, if it’s not operating as efficiently as possible, it will cost you more to run over the years than it should.
It would take a pretty lengthy post to go into extensive detail about every step a technician goes through during air conditioning maintenance in Gainesville, FL, but we want to share with you a few of the most important ones. This should give you a pretty good idea of how maintenance helps your AC system run better and last longer.
- Clean the Outdoor Coil: A dirty outdoor AC coil will make it much harder for the cooling system to efficiently vent heat to the outside.
- Lubricate Motors and Moving Parts: This relieves physical stress from mechanical components—a vital part of keeping any machine working without suffering from major breakdowns or draining too much energy.
- Check for Refrigerant Leaks: During normal operation, an AC system should not lose refrigerant (though an inexperienced HVAC professional may tell you otherwise). Losing refrigerant can cost your air conditioner cooling power and extra strain on the system overall.
- Examine the Outdoor Fan: Even the tiniest bit of damage to the fan in your condenser cabinet can cause extensive problems in the rest of the unit, leading to poor operation.
- Recalibrate the Thermostat: Many times, a homeowner might be experiencing what they think is an air conditioning problem when in reality, there’s something wrong with their thermostat.
- Clean the Condensate Drain: If the condensate drain of your AC gets too clogged up, the condensate pan will overflow, and cause the AC system to shut down.
Why Does All of This Matter?
Simply put, maintenance is good for your air conditioner! It helps our technicians spot problems early on in their development, first off. Tackling these repair needs right away prevents a domino effect from occurring, where various components of your cooling system start failing one by one.
It’s also the best time for us to check the condition of your refrigerant lines as well as your ductwork, to make sure they haven’t accumulated any damage. Maintenance involves a very thorough inspection, so that nothing will be missed.
In addition to spotting repair needs and inspecting the system, we also thoroughly clean the system, which helps it to work as efficiently as possible for as long as possible. By keeping up on your AC tune-ups, you can help your cooling system last many years longer than it would without.
