To keep the air conditioner at your home in Jacksonville performing well throughout the year, it’s necessary to get it regularly tuned up. Although the majority of air conditioning maintenance tasks fall under the purview of professional HVAC technicians, there are a few things you can do, too. Schedule annual maintenance with One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating and handle some of the easier jobs on your own to keep your cooling unit in good shape.
What a Technician Will Do During a Maintenance Appointment
• Check refrigerant levels
One of the main tasks of an AC maintenance appointment is to check the refrigerant levels. Your air conditioner needs refrigerant to help it cool down your home. If it’s low on coolant, you may notice issues like warmer air coming from the system. An experienced HVAC professional will know how to check for low refrigerant during a tune-up and refill it as needed.
• Look for loose and damaged parts
An HVAC company will also inspect your air conditioner and look for damaged or loosened components. As you run your AC year after year, it’s normal for parts to wear down, and some of them may become loose and even fall off. If you start hearing strange sounds like rattling within your cooling unit, it may be the result of a part that’s broken loose and stuck somewhere within the AC. At One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating, we will look for things like damaged parts or ones that have broken off and perform the necessary fixes.
• Perform lubrication and cleaning
An expert technician will also do things like add lubrication to help in aiding the movement of internal parts. During maintenance service, professionals will also look for leaks and clean off the coils.
Things You Can Do to Help Keep Your AC Running
• Change the air filter
One of the best things you can do as a homeowner is to check the AC’s air filter periodically and swap it out as needed. The filter helps block dirt, dust, and contaminants from getting circulated around your home. If you’ve noticed that your indoor air seems a lot poorer or dirtier than normal, it may be because of a clogged filter.
The rule of thumb is to change out the air filter every 90 days or so. If you have smokers or pets in your home, you may need to perform a filter change sooner than every three months. By keeping a fresh air filter within your air conditioning system, you’re helping ensure that the AC does its job and doesn’t have to work too hard to achieve the cooling you need at home.
• Clean the exterior unit
Another thing you can do to help maximize the efficiency of your system is to clean around and within the outdoor unit. Since it’s outside, the exterior portion of your AC can accumulate debris over time. Trim any weeds around it and clear away things like fallen branches. It’s also possible to clean the inside of your outdoor unit through vacuuming and dusting. If you’re concerned about accessing the internal workings of your outdoor unit, have a technician do this for you.
If you’re in Jacksonville and you need AC maintenance service, contact One Hour Air Conditioning & Heating. Our company recommends getting at least one tune-up per year for your cooling system. We offer unparalleled service to the community, and we live by the following promise: “We’re always on time or you don’t pay a dime.”