Maintaining your HVAC system helps to prevent future problems and unwanted costs. It’s best to keep your cooling and heating system at peak performance by having a contractor do annual pre-season check-ups. Spring is here in Florida and contractors will be busy once summer comes, so it’s best to schedule a maintenance call to ensure your unit makes a smooth transition from winter to summer.
Like Ben Franklin always said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Maintenance Checklist
A typical maintenance check-up should include the following:
- Check thermostat settingsto ensure the cooling and heating system keeps you comfortable when you are home and saves energy while you are away.
- Tighten all electrical connectionsand measure voltage and current on motors. Faulty electrical connections can cause unsafe operation of your system and reduce the life of major components.
- Lubricate all moving parts.Parts that lack lubrication cause friction in motors and increases the amount of electricity you use.
- Check and inspect the condensate drainin your central air conditioner, furnace and/or heat pump (when in cooling mode). A plugged drain can cause water damage in the house and affect indoor humidity levels.
- Check controls of the systemto ensure proper and safe operation. Check the starting cycle of the equipment to assure the system starts, operates, and shuts off properly.
Cooling Specific
- Clean evaporator and condenser air conditioning coils.Dirty coils reduce the system’s ability to cool your home and cause the system to run longer, increasing energy costs and reducing the life of the equipment.
- Check your central air conditioner’s refrigerant leveland adjust if necessary. Too much or too little refrigerant will make your system less efficient increasing energy costs and reducing the life of the equipment.
- Clean and adjust blower componentsto provide proper system airflow for greater comfort levels. Airflow problems can reduce your system’s efficiency by up to 15 percent.
Heating Specific
- Check all gas (or oil) connections, gas pressure, burner combustion and heat exchanger.Improperly operating gas (or oil) connections are a fire hazard and can contribute to health problems. A dirty burner or cracked heat exchanger causes improper burner operation. Either can cause the equipment to operate less safely and efficiently.
Actions To Do Yourself
- Inspect, clean, or change air filtersonce a month in your central air conditioner, furnace, and/or heat pump. Your contractor can show you how to do this. A dirty filter can increase energy costs and damage your equipment, leading to early failure.
About ABC Cleaning, Inc. of Orlando, FL
Serving Central Florida since 1992, ABC Cleaning, Inc. has been the acknowledged leader in air duct cleaning, chimney cleaning and dryer vent cleaning. We’re NADCA certified, we consistently invest in and have the most modern equipment and utilize the latest technology available with the best trained service technicians in all of Orlando. Call ABC today at (407) 477-4302 for fair and quality service.
