HVAC Contractors Should Check These Things During A/C Maintenance

Try to remember the last time you had preventive maintenance performed on your home’s central air conditioning system. If you can’t remember, or know it’s been longer than a year or two, there’s no time like the present to schedule A/C maintenance. After professional maintenance is performed, your cooling system will operate more efficiently, provide improved comfort and do a better job of dehumidifying the air in your home. It also will be more likely to run all summer with breaking down.

What should you expect during a preventive A/C maintenance visit? The fact is, no two HVAC contractors offer precisely the same service – some do more, some do less, and many have different levels of maintenance that they offer. But most will perform a series of standard tasks intended to make sure your cooling system is working properly and greatly reduce the risk of your system breaking down on the hottest day of the summer.

Common A/C Maintenance Tasks

The technician should check the refrigerant and adjust the level to the manufacturer’s recommended level if necessary. He also should check system airflow to make sure the right amount of air is passing across the evaporator coil, and that the system is effectively circulating air throughout the house. Some preventive maintenance visits will include a ductwork inspection.

Motors, inside and outside, will be lubricated and cleaned if necessary. Any loose or worn parts will be tightened or replaced. The tech will also check the compressor capacitor for proper operation. Voltage and amperage on the air handler motor will be checked. All electrical connections should be tight and secure. The thermostat will be tested for proper operation.

If either evaporator or condenser coils are dirty, the technician should clean them. He’ll check the air filter and change it if it’s dirty. He should look at the condensate collection pan and drain to make sure they aren’t backing up.

Your A/C maintenance visit should include the great majority of these tasks. To schedule a comprehensive preventive maintenance tune-up for your Northwest Arkansas home’s air conditioner, contact Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Springdale, Arkansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about A/C maintenance and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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