What Does An AC Tune Up Include?
An AC Tune Up includes checking and cleaning all major components of your air conditioning system. Also included is checking to make sure you have the proper freon levels in your ac unit. This makes sure the ac unit is not leaking and will not leave you without air conditioning in the summer.
It is important to check the power level of your capacitor. Checking the capacitor, makes sure it will continue to start your outdoor unit. If your capacitor is low on power, an HVAC technician typically recommends replacing your capacitor preventatively. If the capacitor loses enough power, it will leave you without air conditioning. Also an important reason to replace a capacitor that is low on power preventatively, is if the capacitor is not providing enough power to the more expensive components, it can create problems for those other parts. These parts are much more expensive to replace such as a blower motor. Watch this video that explains the importance of checking your capacitor.
At One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning, we also check the major components of your furnace as well during your air conditioner maintenance to make sure we are not overlooking one side of the system.
How Often Should AC Be Tuned Up?
We recommend getting regular maintenance done or getting an ac tune up one time per year. It is important to keep your outdoor unit free of debris that clogs it throughout the year. The outdoor coil can be considered the “lungs” of the system so if it can’t breathe properly, the air conditioner will not be able to cool your home enough.
Often ac tune ups will uncover an ac repair that needs to be done preventatively so you will not be left with an air conditioner breakdown.
How To Wash Out Your Air Conditioner
While a professional cleaning is always best because you can get a much more thorough clean from the inside out, you can help your air conditioner by washing the outside. Watch our demonstration here to learn how to wash out your air conditioner properly. If you have a professional cleaning done once per year, it is not necessary to clean your outdoor unit yourself unless you have an unusual amount of leaves, dirt, etc. on your outdoor unit that may be causing it to not work properly.
Air Conditioner Not Cooling Enough?
If your air conditioner is not cooling enough, it is possible that you can help solve the problem. Lack of maintenance and dirt in general creates problems for your air conditioner. If your air conditioner is not cooling enough, try changing your air filter and do a gentle wash of the outdoor unit with a light stream of water. These simple changes may help! It is important to change your air filter regularly. Please watch this video on what can happen if you do not change your filter.