Tips for Avoiding Costly HVAC Repairs

It’s summer time! It is the time to load up and head to that favorite beach spot, spend some time on the lake, or just work on that perfect golden tan that the long winter months seem to have taken away.

We all look forward to this time of year. We have a chance to get away from the hum drum of the nine to five life and just relax and recharge.

The last thing we want to think about now is taking care of our heating and cooling systems, but a few simple steps taken now might prevent a major breakdown from interrupting your island getaway with a costly AC failure. If you would rather spend more of your hard earned money on the things you love to do, rather than on frequent air conditioner breakdowns, then follow theses simple tips.

Replace you air filter every month

This is the most basic element to maintaining your HVAC equipment and is often neglected or left undone for long periods of time. Many people may think, “As long as my allergies aren’t bothering me, I don’t worry much about the air filter”, but this is a mistake.

The air filter can and does in fact help to reduce household allergens, but it has a much more important job in keeping your system operating. It keeps debris and dust from building up on your indoor AC coils. These coils are often wet while in operation, and dust can quickly clog the coil and reduce or even eliminate proper airflow, which will eventually lead to damage to your system. Make sure your air filter is changed every month.

Have your outdoor coil cleaned

Other than making sure your air filter is clean and unrestricted, cleaning the outdoor coil is probably the most important maintenance item to pay attention to. In central Alabama, particularly in Tuscaloosa, the temperatures outside are routinely in the mid and upper 90’s. When the mercury rises to those levels your AC system is under a lot of strain, and if your outdoor coils are clogged with dust, grass clippings, or other debris, then the strain of these high temperatures can become more than your system can handle.

Often times, failure to keep the outdoor unit clean will lead to major failures in your system or a drop in the lifespan of the unit. Unless one of your summer goals is to help keep AC companies in business, have your coils cleaned before the weather gets too hot.

Install a WiFi thermostat

It may sound strange, but a WiFi thermostat can actually add life to your system, not to mention that they are really cool. The amount of time your system runs in an average day can greatly affect how long it is before it gives up the ghost.

With a WiFi thermostat you will have the ability to turn your system up when you head out for work in the morning and back down when you’re leaving the office. This way you can reduce the total runtime of the air conditioner without having to walk into a hot house right after work.

There are also convenience factors like being able to turn the system down while lying in bed, and being able to detect failures during the day by noticing the rising temp in your home before your walk in late in the evening.

With these easy to do tips, you should be spending more time in the water this summer and less time sweating in a hot house due to an AC failure. Life is too short to waste it on unnecessary problems, but if you find yourself in need of help, or just want to make sure your system is primed for the dog days of summer, we are here to help you to spend more time this summer relaxing and less time worrying about a broken AC.