 | Chris Cotter is the General Manager of SEK Heat & Air, Inc. in Pittsburg, KS. Chris has worked in the HVAC industry for 15 years and first joined SEK in 1996. SEK has been serving residential and commercial customers in Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma since 1994, providing sales and service of Conventional and Geo-thermal systems. Call Chris today to learn more about heating and cooling your home in a clean and efficient way at 620-215-3124, by e-mail at Info@SekHeatandAir.com, or visit www.SekHeatandAir.com. |
Heating & Air Conditioning
2011-06-01 11:08:00
Preparations for summer cooling
Question: I have always believed that if something isn’t broke, why fix it? Is it worth having an HVACtechnician clean and start-up my A/C? Is there maintenance that I can do myself?
Answer: It is good thing that you are starting to think about your HVAC system now, before the weather really heats up. The last thing you want do is to have to sweat it out when you find that it does not work effectively on that first really hot & humid day.
It is easy to take your air conditioner for granted, especially when it seems to work with little maintenance. The fact is, if you don’t maintain your A/C equipment (just like your vehicle’s oil change or computer anti-virus) it will not last you as long, and will not run as efficiently – costing you more each month in energy consumption. You can save money, save energy, extend the life of your equipment, and enjoy cleaner, cooler air by having it checked each spring or summer.
While it is always best to have a licensed HVAC technician service the unit each year, there are some things you can do yourself to prevent damage and help get the unit ready to run for the summer.
When an air conditioner sits unused and unmaintained for months, it will likely collect debris on or around the unit. When the unit is turned on, the air will pull the dust into the unit’s inner workings, which can cause serious and costly damage.
First, be sure to remove all of the debris from on and around the unit. Trim away bushes and trees so they provide a space of 2-3 feet, to allow for proper circulation and prevent leaves from collecting on or around the condenser.
It is also a good idea to clean or replace air-handler filters 4 times a year. This will not only assure that you are getting a great airflow, it will reduce the amount of dust and allergens you are circulating into the air.
If you suspect problems with the sealed refrigeration system (i.e. your A/C just isn’t cooling like it should), it is time to call a service technician. Repairs to the refrigeration system are not simple “do-it-yourself” jobs and mistakes in this area could be both costly and dangerous.
