Maintenance

It is time to start thinking about the hot summer ahead. Presently, the weather is not too hot, not too cold, just right for Goldilocks to get her air conditioning all checked out and ready to brave the overload of the coming summer. So, Goldilocks calls her licensed HVAC contractor and they send a tech right over. She is then able to take advantage of an efficient system and spends the summer in complete comfort.

Well, in an ideal world, we would all be able to make as many appointments necessary in a day and get everything that needs to be done, completed. However, that doesn't always happen and when air conditioners go out during a heat wave - you can imagine that you aren't going to be the only household suffering. During those times, you might need to wait a bit for some service.

BUT...if you have your unit serviced, it is WAY LESS likely to break down during a heat wave...which saves you the sweating, suffering AND the waiting.

Energy Star (provided on their website www.energystar.gov) are some basic home maintenance techniques as well as different things that should be checked for efficient running of the unit. Whether you are planning on braving this yourself (not recommended as air conditioners have many complicated and high pressurized parts) or paying someone else to do it, this list is beneficial to let you know exactly what the technician (or handy person) is going to be doing and why.

Their maintenance checklist can be found directly at: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=heat_cool.pr_maintenance
This listing provides a checklist including aspects like to adjust the blower motor to ensure that air flow is moving how it is supposed to be. It also suggests to check the levels of refrigerant, as a lack of could provide warm air.
The list also gives homeowners some things to be aware of that they can complete themselves. Most importantly, homeowners are responsible for changing their filters when it is necessary. A dirty filter can drastically slow down air flow and sometimes prevent it all together. Plus, think of all the dust that should be trapped...but is being recirculated because it has sat in a filter for too long.
Before the summer sun hits, consider a tune-up for your air conditioning, just like you would for your car. It will cost less to upkeep your unit, than to replace it when it dies from misuse.