Here’s What Your HVAC Contractor Checks During Regular A/C Maintenance

Here's What Your HVAC Contractor Checks During Regular A/C MaintenanceAnnual professional A/C maintenance pays off in many ways. Your home is more comfortable, your energy bills are lower and you avoid more costly A/C repairs. Following are A/C checks and inspections your HVAC contractor should perform during routine maintenance.

Refrigerant Charge

Your A/C system uses refrigeration principles to remove heat from your home. Refrigerant levels must be within manufacturer specs to cool efficiently and to prevent serious incidental problems, such as a frozen evaporator coil.

Thermostat and Electrical Functions

The thermostat is a temperature sensitive device that signals the A/C to turn on and off according to your settings. In addition to thermostat function checks, your HVAC pro inspects electrical contacts and the capacitor for proper function. Something as simple as a worn wire can shut down your A/C.

Airflow Enhancement

If your HVAC isn’t regularly maintained to allow free airflow, home comfort is going to suffer as well as your pocketbook with higher cooling bills. Airflow is measured through the evaporator, supply vents and return grilles. The air filter is checked for proper fit and cleanliness. Air bypass contributes to contamination of the evaporator, blower motor and ducts, which can increase energy consumption, causing the blower to fail and contributing to poor indoor air quality.

Air Duct Inspection

You simply can’t have efficient home cooling without good duct design in place. Your HVAC contractor should use industry standard sealing materials such as duct mastic and metal tape to seal duct leaks. Rigid fiber board or fiberglass rolls work well to insulate ducts. Also, make sure cool air gets to your living spaces rather than the attic or basement.

System Cleaning

A/C systems in the Yuma area certainly get a lot of use and abuse from the elements. Dirty components reduce efficiency and can cause system breakdowns and failures. The components inside the indoor air handler and outdoor cabinet should be thoroughly cleaned. Additionally, the condensate drain needs to be inspected and treated to prevent water leaks.

If your A/C is past due for a tune up, contact Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company to schedule professional A/C maintenance.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Yuma, Arizona 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.

Credit/Copyright Attribution: “thodonal88/Shutterstock”