Your air conditioning system is a powerful machine, and many of us owe our comfort during the summer to this system. In order for it to continue working properly and do its job of keeping you cool, it has to be properly maintained, which means performing regular routine preventative maintenance. HVAC companies in St. Louis, MO will be able to perform routine maintenance, including cleaning. One aspect that needs to be cleaned is the coils, but how often should they be cleaned, and why? Read on to learn more about this crucial step.
Professional cleaning of AC coils
Ideally, your AC coils should be cleaned seasonally, before the heat of the summer and again at the end of the summertime before cooler weather comes in. However, this is not a job we recommend you handle yourself. HVAC companies in St. Louis, MO will have the tools and expertise necessary to clean the coils adequately without damaging any components. The coil fins in an air conditioning system are delicate and very sensitive, making them easy to damage if you use the wrong type of cleaning product or handle them too forcefully or incorrectly.
Additionally, coil cleaning can be dangerous for those who don’t know what they’re doing. To clean the coils properly, you’d have to handle dangerous chemicals and risk exposure to electric shock, which is likely if you’re not experienced in handling HVAC systems. Plus, if you handle the system wrong, you could end up needing more costly repairs.
Why coil cleaning is necessary
You may be wondering, if the job is so dangerous and risky, why is it necessary to complete it so often? Cleaning your AC coils increases the system’s efficiency and cooling power, as well as improves the air quality in your home. As the coils draw warm air from the outside in order to cool your home, they also pull in other debris, dust, pollen, bacteria and other grime from the outside air. These can build up in the system and even create a barrier, which will increase stress on the system, causing it to work harder than necessary and decreasing the efficiency of the system.
Plus, the air that flows through this buildup of grime will carry its contaminants into the air supply in your home that you regularly breathe in. It’s necessary to regularly clean out the coils so clean air can flow through easily. These delicate coils need to be handled properly and regularly in order for the system to continue to work correctly. This will ensure your HVAC system continues to function as it should, and that your energy bills are kept low and your air quality is kept high.
Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling provides customers with an unmatched level of service, from installation to repairs, maintenance and inspections. All good HVAC companies in St. Louis, MO will recommend regular preventative maintenance, such as cleaning your coils, in order to keep your HVAC system running properly for as long as possible. We’re here to make sure your HVAC problems are prevented before they develop into larger issues. Give us a call today for an estimate.
You want to keep your surroundings cool and comfortable during the summertime, but you don’t want to send your utility bills through the roof in the process. You also don’t want to put unnecessary strain on your AC unit that will reduce its lifespan or require additional HVAC service calls. What can you do?
Try the following tips from your local HVAC service. These steps will help preserve your system and encourage optimal performance throughout the summer months.
Schedule Your Yearly Checkup
Annual maintenance for your unit is crucial. This inspection each cooling season allows a technician to detect any potential issues. Minor adjustments and repairs can be made before any major problems arise. This maintenance will extend the life of your unit and prevent future hassles. You’ll be less likely to find yourself stuck without AC on a hot August day if you schedule this service each year. Try to get this on the calendar in the spring, before you need to use your AC unit for the season.
Keep It Clean
Check your exterior unit occasionally. Make sure the area around it isn’t full of leaves or plants. This debris can choke your unit by blocking airflow, which will make it less effective. Clear away everything from the perimeter of your unit to keep it working optimally.
Replace Your Filter
How often do you replace your HVAC filter? This task should be completed each month during the summertime. Make it a habit to do this when you pay your rent or mortgage, so you don’t forget. A clean filter allows your unit to run more efficiently, which will make your surroundings more comfortable and your utility bill lower. It will also reduce the strain on your AC unit, so you’ll need fewer repairs.
Check Your Thermostat
Make sure you’re not running your AC unit unnecessarily. Use a programmable thermostat to set the temperatures appropriately for times when you are home. If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, get in the habit of changing the settings before you leave. Keep in mind that your schedule may change during the summer. Consider whether you should change your settings, either the time or the temperature, to save money this season.
Seal Your House
Make it as easy as possible for your AC unit to cool your home. Check windows and doors and replace seals if they are not tight. Keep window treatments closed during hot summer afternoons to prevent the sunlight from heating up your home. Use ceiling fans to circulate air or personal fans to reduce the amount of AC output you need during the warmest times of the day.
Get More Tips
Would you like to learn more about keeping your home cool this summer? Reach out to the team at Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling. Our experts have been providing top-quality HVAC service throughout the region since 1999. We are happy to answer any questions you have or provide consultation, repairs or installation. Reach out to us today—we look forward to becoming your AC service partners for life.
Proper maintenance is crucial for optimal AC performance. As your AC unit works hard to keep you cool this summer, what issues should you look for? When should you call for AC service, and what can you do to prevent malfunctions, repairs and replacements?
When the temperature rises, use the following guide to keep your AC in top shape. Look for these issues to ensure your AC is performing at top capacity and to prevent major damage or unnecessary repairs. For additional tips, consult with your local AC service.
Check the Thermostat
Do you have a programmable thermostat? It can be tempting to set this device and forget about it for the rest of the season. But it’s a good idea to check this occasionally. Some thermostats require battery replacement. Others may be bumped accidentally, and their settings may get changed. Keep an eye on your thermostat to make sure it is functioning properly, especially if you notice any issues with your AC service. You might not need repairs to the unit. Instead, it might be a simple fix with your thermostat.
Check the Coolant
If your unit is leaking coolant, you need immediate AC service. Keep an eye on your unit so you discover any leaks right away. Look for water pooling around your air conditioner or ice on the evaporator coil. Other signs of leaking coolant are when the unit turns off and on rapidly or makes a hissing noise. Keep in mind that regulations have changed regarding freon, so you may need to replace your unit if you have a coolant leak.
Check the Air Ducts
If you notice that your AC doesn’t seem to be cooling as efficiently as it used to, this may be due to leaky air ducts. You may notice less comfortable surroundings in your home, or higher utility bills. The leaky ducts may be allowing all your cool air to escape rather than make your home cool and comfy. If you suspect that you have leaky air ducts, contact your local AC service for an inspection and repairs. You’ll save money in the long run by creating a more efficient system with tightly sealed air ducts.
Check the Operation
You should have your system inspected by a professional AC service once each cooling season. This service will allow the technician to discover any minor issues before they become major. The technician can clean the unit and tighten and repair anything that requires attention, which will reduce the amount of repairs the unit will need in the future. This consistent service can help extend the life of your AC unit and ensure you have reliable, smooth service all summer long.
Look to the Pros
To keep your AC system in top shape this summer, partner with the professionals at Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling. Since 1999, we’ve been the area’s go-to source for residential and commercial AC service. Reach out to us today to schedule your next preventative maintenance service. 24-hour emergency service is available!
The air conditioner often doesn’t get quite as much maintenance attention as other areas in your home. After all, it’s only used seasonally, and the main unit is located outside your house, which can make it easy for you to forget about it when you’re performing your regular cleaning tasks. However, it’s important to take some simple maintenance steps to keep your AC operating as smoothly and efficiently as possible, and part of that is changing out your air conditioning filter.
The filter ensures the air coming into your home is free of particles and contaminants, but over time it will start to get clogged up with everything it’s filtered out of the air. This means it’s necessary to change it every now and then. But how do you know when it’s time to change your AC filter? Here’s some information from an AC service in St. Louis, MO to help you out:
The equipment is running hot: If you start to notice the back of the air conditioner unit getting particularly hot, this means it is needing to work too hard to push air through the system. You can relieve some of its burden by replacing or cleaning out the filter, depending on the kind of filter in the system.
Allergies flaring up: Have you started to suffer from more frequent allergy attacks or heightened symptoms of asthma while in the comfort of your own home? If so, there’s a chance the air coming through your air conditioner isn’t being filtered as well as it should be, which is a sign that the filter is getting clogged up with debris. Trust your instincts—if you feel like you’re dealing with heightened symptoms that don’t normally occur, you should check on the condition of your filter.
Home not cooling as efficiently: There could be a variety of reasons why your air conditioning isn’t operating as efficiently as you’re used to, but one of the more common causes of inefficient operation is a clogged filter. If dirt starts to come into contact with the coils, it makes it a bit more difficult for the entire unit to function as designed. The dirtier the filters, the harder the equipment has to work to cool your home, and the more likely it is you’ll be dealing with inefficient cooling.
Higher energy bills: If you keep track of how much you’re paying on your energy bills each month and notice a sudden, significant increase, it could be a result of your filters being clogged, forcing your HVAC equipment to work in overdrive. Again, the general standard is that the dirtier the filter is, the harder the equipment has to work. Keeping the filter clean cuts down on how much the machine works and how much you have to pay for its operation.
Lots of dust: If the areas around the vents in your home seem to be dusty, this is a sign that your filter is no longer effectively removing dust particles from the air before pushing the air into your home. Check the filter, and if it needs to be cleaned or changed, do so immediately.
These are just a few examples of some of the best ways to tell if you need to change your HVAC filter. You can expect to change a filter at least a couple times a year, but it varies based on your system usage and the conditions in your home. We encourage you to contact our AC service in St. Louis, MO with any questions or concerns.
Summer may already be here, but the hottest part of the season is still a few weeks away. If you haven’t already done so, now’s the time to schedule an appointment with an HVAC service in St. Louis, MO to have a technician come out, inspect your home’s air conditioning system and make sure everything is ready to go for the dog days of summer. After all, the weather’s going to become very hot and humid in a hurry, as it is wont to do in the summer months here in Missouri, so you’re going to want to make sure you have reliable cooling for your home once it does!
Here are just a few of the biggest reasons why it’s such a good idea to make sure you take care of your yearly air conditioning checkup before the weather gets especially hot.
Uncover issues in a timely manner
Consider this: As soon as the summer heat arrives in its full intensity, it will be not just an inconvenience if your air conditioning goes out, but a hardship and even a potential safety hazard in some cases.
Adhering to regular maintenance will keep your air conditioning running reliably all year long, so you won’t have to worry about becoming extremely uncomfortable if your air conditioning dies during a heat wave. You’ll also be able to uncover any potential issues with your AC system early on, before they become more serious problems, which means you can avoid more extensive (and costly) repairs and a potential emergency call to an HVAC technician.
Extend the useful life of your air conditioning
Regular maintenance of your air conditioning and your HVAC system as a whole does not just mean it’ll keep working reliably when you need it; it also ensures your air conditioning will continue working effectively and efficiently for years to come. A well-maintained AC unit can be expected to last much longer than a unit that gets neglected, which saves you money in the long run, as you won’t have to worry about replacement for quite a bit longer than you otherwise would.
Cut down on your energy consumption
A well-maintained air conditioning unit also operates more efficiently than a unit that gets neglected. This is especially important during the hotter parts of the year, when your air conditioner is already running more often. You don’t want to make the unit’s job any harder than it needs to be. Cleaning out the filters, lubricating the parts, inspecting the coolant and making sure all the parts are in good operating condition cuts down on how much energy it takes to run the unit and cool the home. This, in turn, reduces your overall carbon footprint, which is much better for the environment, and also cuts down on how much money you can expect to pay for your cooling bills each month.
These are just a few examples of some of the biggest benefits that come with getting your AC checked out by an HVAC service in St. Louis, MO. Contact Ashley Brothers Heating & Cooling today for more information or to schedule an appointment!
