Your Air Conditioner Needs Regular Maintenance Too

Just like you take yourself to the doctor each year for your annual physical or take your car to the mechanic for regular maintenance, your air conditioner needs to be treated with some tender loving care. While they are designed to generally be tough, these machines will work a lot better if they are well taken care of. The average air conditioner in AZ looses about 5% of its efficiency per each year you run it if you do not take the time to make it run better. There are things that you as the homeowner can do to help keep your AC unit in good shape.

The number one important thing you need to do for your AC unit is to change the filter on a monthly basis. Nothing could be easier to do to keep your unit running at maximum performance. A dirty filter blocks the necessary air flow that your air conditioner needs to force cold air into your home. If you don't change it your unit might start pumping out warm air or might even stop working altogether. Another important step is to clean out the drain. Simply put a cap on the end of the drain and use a vacuum to such out the dirt. Take the cap off after you are done to avoid a catastrophe. While you can do this throughout the year, call in a professional to use his high pressure vacuum to really get in there and clean it good. You should also clean your Scottsdale air conditioning coils. Make sure the power has been disconnected first! Make sure you use gloves and safety glasses and spray the cleaner, that you can get at your local hardware store, directly onto the coils. After a while rinse it thoroughly with your hose.

The rest of the job should be left to the professionals. Run your air conditioner for a little bit in the spring, before the heat of summer hits. This will let you know if there are any problems now that can be addressed when the technician shows up. You will want to have your maintenance for your air conditioner scheduled for the spring rather than waiting until the last-minute when the weather starts to get hot. The tech will probably check your refrigerant levels and refill as needed. They will also check all of the electrical components, the condenser and the filters. If your evaporator and condenser coils are dirty they will clean them. They will also calibrate your thermostat so you are getting exactly what you want in terms of temperature from your air conditioners in Phoenix.