You’ve probably heard that you should have your air conditioner serviced regularly. The Sarasota HVAC contractors at Ties360 recommend preventative maintenance at least once a year. In Sarasota, the tropical weather turns hot earlier in the year than in the northern areas of the state, so March & April are ideal months to schedule that annual service call.
But Why?
By treating your cooling system to regular maintenance, it will keep you cool and comfortable and save you money. Here are just a few of the benefits of an annual ac maintenance tune-up:
Lower Utility Bills
Air Conditioning units that are regularly serviced perform more efficiently. The more efficient your ac unit performs, the lower your electric bills will be. A study conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that a well-maintained HVAC consumes up to 20 percent less energy than a neglected one. And, here in Florida – Your air conditioning unit is responsible for nearly half of your total electric bill.
Longer Life Span
The average life of a home’s air conditioning system is said to be between 10 and 20 years. But, a well-maintained unit can last as many as 30 years. Air conditioning units that receive little to no care may not even make it to their tenth birthday, a drastic difference in life span.
Fewer Repair Bills
A potentially hazardous condition can be caught early by a qualified and experienced air conditioning technician. Preventative care for your unit can help to eliminate or lower the possibility for costly repair bills in the future.
Replacing your air conditioner, by contrast, will cost several thousand dollars. Even small repairs can run several hundred dollars. A qualified technician can often find and address small problems with A/C units through a regular inspection that, left unnoticed, could grow into larger, more expensive issues.
What About During the Rest of Year?
In between your annual ac maintenance calls, there are a few things you can do to help to increase the efficiency of your Sarasota home’s air conditioner:
Periodic Inspection
Periodically inspect the outdoor unit for damage, and keep the area around the unit free of dirt, debris, weeds, foliage, leaves and twigs.
Turn up the thermostat
When you’re not home or on vacation, turn up the air conditioner until you return. This will lessen the load on your system, and it will last longer. Many of the newer thermostats also have schedules that you can use to choose different settings for different times of the day according to your personal schedule.
Make sure indoor air vents are free of dust, lint, obstructions, hair and pet dander.
As your HVAC system runs, it accumulates dust and dirt in key areas that affect its efficiency, like the condensing coils and air filters. Left unchecked, your A/C system can lose up to 5 percent of its operating efficiency each year because of this buildup, meaning it can’t cool your house to the best of its ability as it could if it were clean.
Call for AC repair if you notice weird noises, water leaks, uneven cooling, air temperature that doesn’t match the thermostat, or rising utility bills.
Replace you air filters monthly.
Conclusion
Inspections pay for themselves through improved energy efficiency, which saves money on utility bills, and a longer-lasting air conditioning unit.
Whether you want to optimize your existing system or you’re on the hunt for an energy-efficient air duct sealing solution, the experts at Ties360 in Sarasota can help you save money on your monthly electric bills. Give us a call or contact us online for more helpful tips and information.
