Can A Tune-Up Put Your Air Conditioner In The Fast Lane?

Your air conditioning system can always benefit from some love and care. Scheduling a tune-up for your home's AC can be a great way to save money and get better cooling.

This service typically includes several tasks, including simple items like checking your filter and more complex investigations of your thermostats, ductwork, and condenser unit. Many technicians recommend scheduling these jobs at least once a year, but what makes them so critical? Check out these three ways that a quick air conditioning tune-up can save you money and keep you cool.

1. You'll Avoid Maintenance-Related Repairs

Deferred HVAC maintenance is not something to take lightly. Like many household problems, issues with your air conditioner will not simply vanish if you ignore them. Instead, poor maintenance practices often reduce system efficiency and lead to excessive wear on expensive components. A simple item like a clogged filter can overwork your blower or compressor, leading to premature failures.

Most tune-up services include a bevy of maintenance tasks, ranging from checking your refrigerant pressure levels to replacing old, dirty filters. By scheduling a tune-up at least once per year, you'll guarantee that these maintenance tasks won't lead to more expensive problems in the future.

2. You'll Guarantee Maximum Efficiency

Many people believe that HVAC systems become less efficient as they age. While some loss of efficiency is inevitable as parts wear down, most of these problems result from poor maintenance. Ignoring maintenance tasks puts more strain on your air conditioner, forcing it to run poorly and ultimately consume more electricity in the process.

On classic cars, tune-ups often involved fiddling with timing and adjusting components to achieve the perfect fuel and air balance. These steps increased engine efficiency and power. Your AC technician will take a similar approach to your home's HVAC system, checking and optimizing your thermostats and ensuring that you get the most efficiency possible from your air conditioner.

3. You'll Catch Problems Early

Your AC service technician will also be able to spot any potential areas of trouble in your system. Worn-out blower motors, damaged coils, or other problems can reduce efficiency and ultimately cause your system to fail. The earlier you catch these problems, the more time you'll have to deal with them before summer's most intense heat arrives.

Ultimately, scheduling this service for your air conditioning system is a great way to ensure that it continues to operate efficiently and reliably. And you'll get to enjoy all the benefits of your AC system running like it just rolled off the factory floor.