Beat the Heat – Why your AC needs a Tune Up
Combating heat with an AC is a tough ask, especially if you live in an area where the heat is sweltering hot! Air conditioners like any other appliance require a tune up so that the best cooling environment can be achieved. We normally recommend to tune up your AC after one year. After the end of summer, your AC is all worn up, there are high chances that it would not function the same when the next season of summer comes in. Beating the heat hence is the main function of an AC and this is what is required from any air conditioner. As soon as the fall is near, it is time to get your AC tuned up and especially if you haven’t had a tune up in the spring. Here’s why your air conditioner needs a tune up and the bundle of benefits you can get:
Why a Tune-Up is needed?
The average time an AC runs in a household in a year is 2800 hours. That’s 2800 hours of a rigorous mechanical wear and tear. Just imagine if you drove your car for 2800 hours without having a tune up. Yes, that’s right, your car will barely even be functional after that or even before. Hence, a tune up is a basic requirement of an AC that lets it keep on working with the same performance each year or season.
Indoor Unit: The indoor unit of an AC is a part that can get affected if the AC is not tuned on time. The indoor unit contains a part that is called an evaporator coil, whose sole purpose is to absorb heat and reduce humidity. With the passage of time, the evaporator coil can get filled with dust particles and debris. Which in turns result in low performance as the evaporator coil will now no longer absorb the same amount of heat and humidity. Hence, a tune up is necessary for the indoor unit to keep working in coherence with the outdoor unit.
Outdoor Coil: The outdoor coil is another part that is affected by ignoring a tune up. What the outdoor coil does is the fact that it transfer heat from the refrigerant to the outdoor environment. In simple words, it can be looked as an exhaust vault, where all the heat is directly transferred to the outer environment. What is important however is the fact that the outdoor coil has more function than this as it works in sync with the indoor unit to reduce heat. This is the reason why you need to tune up your AC’s as these parts together work to create the best working environment.
Let’s now take a look at some of the benefits of an AC tune up:
What would be the point of all this discussion if the end result doesn’t have any benefits. Well, an AC tune up has a bundle of benefits of which you will realize the very moment once you get it tuned up. Here are some of the benefits:
Shelf Life: An AC is an investment. It is pricey and is a lifesaver in summers that are harsh. We would simply love to extend its life as much as possible. And this is where a tune up can really help you out. An AC tune up can increase the life of an air conditioner to 20-25 years! Now, that is not an exaggeration. It is quite normal that the life of an AC exceeds beyond two decades if it is annually tuned up. If you don’t maintain your AC, then it will probably last between 5-10 years.
Avoid Repair Costs: Repair costs can be a real pain and a burden on our pockets. What typically happens is that when a slight problem occurs in an AC and we ignore it. Sooner or later, other problems will start to appear. We cannot ignore the fact that these problems ultimately lead to a bigger problem which means unnecessary burden on the wallet. Hence, it is always advised that an annual tune up might actually save you a lot of costs in the long run. Plus, it saves you a lot of time and hassle.
Excellent Cooling: The main purpose of an air conditioner still remains of the fact that it is there to help us make comfortable. If regular tune ups are not done on time, they will only cost you money. Plus, you will not feel comfortable. Excellent cooling is hence a priority for all of us and this is exactly what we will get from getting our AC’s tuned up annually. This is also how you beat the summer while saving a lot of cash.
Save the Environment: This one benefit is too good to be ignored. Our environment is important and we have to take care of it. We have been continuously neglecting it and now is the time to change our habits in all ways possible. Research confirms the fact that an ill maintained AC does more damage in terms of carbon monoxide emissions. That is, if you tune up your AC on an annual basis then less carbon monoxide will be emitted hence it will be better for the environment as well.
What Does a Tune Up Normally Includes:
When you go for a tune up, the process normally includes the following services:
Inspection: The first task is obviously to inspect the entire AC and look for parts that might be damaged or wiring that might have gotten loose or damaged. We follow a holistic approach when it comes to inspecting an AC. From the outdoor unit to the indoor coils, everything is looked at with great detail.
Lubrication & Cleaning: The next step will be to clean and lubricate the motor parts of an AC. This includes cleaning of the electrical wiring as well. And replacement if needed. The fact is, that motor parts when lubricated and cleaned perform much better and ignoring the cleaning will result into losses.
Testing: After a thorough inspection and servicing of all the parts. Testing will be undertaken, in this process technicians test all the components of the AC that include airflow testing, thermostat, system controls and working of the fan. Testing allows us to demonstrate that everything that has been clean is in working condition and you will get the best out of your newly installed AC.
This step by step procedure is done to ensure that any damage or flaw that is found in the AC is removed the very moment it is found. Furthermore, outdoor and indoor coil are also cleaned so that the functionality of the air conditioner is not compromised and the entire process of cooling is in a flow..
Tips for You:
Here’s the part that might interest you more as it can really do great things for your air conditioner. The best part is that the processes involved are simple and does not waste a lot of time. Here are a few DIY tips that you can do to make sure that you Air Conditioner works aptly.
Air Filter: A dirty air filter should always be dealt away on the spot. A dirty air filter full of dust and debris can restrict the air flow and it can result into overheating which ultimately damages the entire AC. Also, a dirt filled air filter might actually decrease the quality of air. As you’re basically allowing dust particles to enter the system and possibly enter the room. One simply needs to remove the air filter and dust it up. Or maybe you can even use water to do that.
The second thing you can do yourself is to remove dirt particles and debris from the metal fins of the outdoor units. This is an easy task to do and can greatly increase the performance of you AC.
Why Choose 212 HVAC:
212 HVAC comprises of a group of individuals that are dedicated to their customers. Our team of technicians are without a doubt best when it comes to performing adequate air conditioner installation and repairs. So, if you’re ready to get your AC installed or maybe your AC needs a tune up. We are one call away!
