3 Critical Tips To Keep Your Air Conditioning Functional Every Year

When was the last time you thought about your air conditioner? Have you given it any attention since last autumn? If you're like a lot of people, you probably avoid thinking about the heat of summer once cool weather arrives. Unfortunately, this lack of attention can eventually result in your air conditioner ceasing to function prematurely. A minor overlooked flaw can quickly grow to be a serious issue if not found in time. While you can't go back and undo what's been done, here are some things that you should be doing on a regular basis to ensure that everything remains functional for as long as possible:

Regular filter replacement: When you buy a filter for your air conditioning system, you'll probably see that it says that it's good for a certain number of days or months. What you might not notice is the qualifier "up to" next to this time period. Things like smoking, house pets, and high pollen counts can clog the filter and cause it to need to be replaced prematurely. If you're only going by days, then you could be causing damage in the long run, such as causing the fan motor to overheat from trying to force air through the clogged filter. 

Annual inspection: Because your air conditioner is a closed box, it is difficult to tell when anything is going wrong before it actually breaks down. This is why it is essential to hire an air conditioning technician once a year to inspect the unit and to give it a tune-up as needed. This may not be able to prevent all mishaps with the system, but it will at least head off the most serious issues. Ideally, this inspection should be done in the very early spring or the late fall. Air conditioning companies will be less busy during these times and will have more availability to take care of your system.

Winter tests: Periodically during the winter months, every 4-6 weeks or so, you should turn on your air conditioning unit and let it run for about 5 minutes. There are various parts, such as the fan belt and the motor, that can wear out by not being used at all. An unused fanbelt may crack and a motor that hasn't been run in a while may seize. By running the system every few weeks, even when you don't need it, you are preventing damage from accumulating. Ask your air conditioning technician if more or different measures need to be taken.

For more information, contact an air conditioning technician near you. 

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