Air Conditioning System Maintenance for Homeowners

Air conditioning systems are too often taken for granted, sometimes for months, years, even a decade. Then, one day, the air is no longer blowing, the blown air is no longer cold, or your utility bills seemingly double with no explanation. It can happen to anybody, but it happens a lot less frequently to homeowners who conduct regular air conditioning system maintenance. Let's face it: The ability to keep your home at any temperature you like is a modern luxury that few who have experienced it wish to give up. Performing the required maintenance for your air conditioning system is the first step in ensuring that it will continue to do its job for years to come.

Air Conditioning Maintenance: Filters
Regularly changing or cleaning your A/C filter is one of the best, and most commonly neglected, ways to keep your system running smoothly. Whether your air conditioning filter is disposable or permanent, it should ideally be examined once a month, and washed or replaced as needed. Disposable air conditioning filters come in many varieties. Inexpensive filters do a sufficient job of keeping a lot of dust and dirt out of air conditioning systems, while more expensive models will also filter out pollutants and allergens.

Permanent air conditioning filters need to be cleaned from time to time. To do the job right, the dust and dirt must first be vacuumed up, then the filter should be rinsed with water. After years of use, these kinds of filters may need to be replaced. They, like disposable filters, come in different grades that are designed to trap various sized particles.

More Air Conditioning System Maintenance
As important as your air conditioning system is, you should complete a comprehensive evaluation of your system each year. What does this entail? Well, here are several steps to help ensure not only that your A/C system is running properly but that repairs don't become more expensive than necessary...

• Hire a professional to inspect and clean your system each year. Doing so at the beginning of spring, when HVAC contractors tend to have an open schedule, can help you negotiate lower service fees.

• The air coming out of your air conditioner should be 15 to 20 degrees cooler than room temperature. The easiest way to check this is with an infrared thermometer. You can find a cheap model for about $20, or a more expensive model (equipped with a laser) will start around $60.

• Check your outdoor A/C unit to make sure no tall grasses, weeds, or landscaping features are obstructing the unit, preventing air intake, and decreasing your system's energy-efficiency.

• Check the two lines connected to the outside of the air conditioner. The larger, suction line should be cool, but not frozen. The smaller, high pressure line should be warm but not extremely hot.

Air Conditioning Service and Contractors
There are chemicals inside your air conditioner that should only be handled by a professional. A certified air conditioning service provider is the only person who should be taking the unit apart at all. If your air conditioning doesn't turn on at all no matter what you set the thermostat at, the problem may stretch into the realm of an electrician. You may want to check your breaker box, as well, to see if the circuit leading to your air conditioning unit has tripped. You can try resetting the switch, but if the breaker trips again, it is definitely time to call a professional.