Your heating and cooling systems work incredibly hard to perform their functions for you home every day. The constant stopping, starting and continual operation can wear down any machine if the proper care and maintenance is delayed. However, by performing regular maintenance, you can maximize the lifecycle of your heating or cooling unit and guard against many common equipment failures. Preventive maintenance inspections perfomed on a regular basis can uncover leaks, rust, rot, soot, frayed wires and corroded electrical contacts that the naked eye may not notice. You should have problems that may occur in the near future.

The SEER (seasonal energy efficiency ratio) is how the efficiency of your heating and cooling equipment is measured. The SEER is the amount of cooling you system will delilver per dollar spent on electricity, as compared to other systems. The higher the SEER the more efficient the sytem will be.

An old or malfunctioning thermostat measures the wrong temperature. Most of the time, the result is an HVAC unit(Heating, Ventilaton and Air Conditinoning) that rapidly starts and stops to soon or not turning off when desired temperature is reached. This can damage the compressor and internal fans. Likewise, you won't be able to maintain a consistent and comfortable temperature inside the home.

Since they are electronic, programmable thermostats are more accurate and efficient than thermostats that contain mercury. With programmable thermostats you can control the temperature in your home at different times a day without every touching your thermostat. Because everything is automatic, you will never forget to change the setting on you own.

The filter is the next place to check. A dirty filter strains the HVAC unit and forces it to work harder to push air. Even worse, it won't clean harmful irritants fromt he air, and it may end up blowing them throughout the home. The filter should be changed at least every three months, sooner if you suffer from allergies. Left unaddressed, a dirty filter can damage the HVAC system and possibley contribute to health problems.

Standard filters work to keep your system and its ductwork clean, buty they don't really improve indoor air quality. To do thay you need a media filter. The media filter rests between the main return duct and the blower cabinet and will improve dust and particle removal by seven times that of a standard filter. However, upgrading to a pleated media filter will remove everything from insecticide dust to airborne viruses from the filtered air. MERV 8 pleated air filters utilize 100% synthetic media. They help capture airborne particles/allergens between 3-10 microns in size and are ideal upgrade form standard disposable panel filters. MERV 8 Replacement Filters Help Eliminate: Dust and Lint, Pet Dander, Dust Mites and Pollen. Change frequency should be 60-90 days. Always choose a filter that matches your blower's capacity. For optimum effiency and filtration, we recommend that you replace your disposable filters at least once a month. If you have washable filters, they should be cleaned once a month.

Outside, the condenser coild tend to build up with dirt, grime, leaves, and even trash. Insided the evaporator coils can collect dus and debris restricting air flow. Clogges coils slow down you air conditioner and force it to work hard. When the col becomes sufficiently blocked with debris as to slow down the air flow enough, the coil may actually become so cold that the condensate farming on its surfaces freezes, completely blocking the coil. It will consume far more electricity than needed for normal operation. By cleaning the coils, you keep your unit working at the greatest energy efficiency, and keepy your electric bill as low as possible.

The condenser tubing hold refrigerant, the chemical that exchanges hot and cold air between the indoors and outdoors. If the tubing leaks, then you lose the refrigerant. Again, it will cost more to cool you home. It can even damage the unit if too much refrigerant leaks out. If you're running an older system that uses R-22, aka Freon, then the cost to replace it can be very high due to R-22 Freon production ban by the EPA. By keeping the condenser tubing clean, you avoid expensive emergency repair costs.

With the major components examined, then the entire system should be checked to see that it's working properly. This is turning the unit on, measuring the temperature, seeing that the unit shuts off as intended and measuring interanl pressure. The unit should be also checked for unsual noises or smells.

Sunshine Heating and Air Conditioning, Inc can help you avoid costly air conditioning repairs by using our preventive maintenace schedule. Call us today to find out more.