One of our repeating themes is about the importance of maintenance. Lots of people still have the mistaken opinion that when a heating and air service company recommends a maintenance program that they are just trying to feather their nest by charging for un-necessary work. Allow me to speak frankly. The straight truth is that from a heating and air service company’s standpoint having customers with a maintenance program is a predictable source of work and of income. However, that does not negate an even more important truth: properly maintained central heating and cooling systems have fewer major failures and save on energy costs.
So now that the summer cooling season is about to kick into full force, we are going to list some reminders about why you should have a professional technician do a seasonal check-up now on your air conditioner or heat pump HVAC system before the hottest, muggiest days of the summer season hit us. For that matter, it should be done once a year. There’s nothing new here, no flashes of enlightenment. Just plain, good ol’ reminders. Ten reasons to inspect and tune-up your central air cooling system:
- Reliability – Do you rely on your home’s cooling system? Then it needs to be reliable. What would happen if you never did maintenance on your car or truck? As you clearly know, regular maintenance is an absolute must to have a reliable automobile. In the same way, having a qualified technician inspect your system clean it, tune-up the operation, and verify that it is operating as it should will make your cooling system reliable. There may be small problems that are found that can be easily fixed, preventing a complete breakdown during a mid-summer heat wave.
- Peace of mind – If you know your air conditioner or heat pump will be reliable this summer, that will give you peace of mind. There are plenty of things out of our control that can stress us out. Don’t add to that list by neglecting your family’s comfort this summer. Peace of mind is worth it.
- Energy efficiency – If your equipment is not operating properly, it may you’re your house down, but at a higher cost. Back to the automobile comparison... Over time spark plugs wear down, air filters get clogged, things get out of adjustment. The same thing applies to your air conditioner or heat pump. A tune-up done now will verify that the system is operating the way the manufacturer designed it. Obviously with age it won’t be able to operate exactly as it did on the day it was installed. However proper maintenance will ensure the best possible refrigerant pressures, amp draws and voltages to ensure the equipment is operating at peak efficiency. A heat pump or air conditioner with low refrigerant can force your HVAC system to run longer than necessary to keep you and your family comfortable, resulting in excessive utility costs.
- Comfort – A properly operating heating and cooling (HVAC) system will maintain the home at the optimum comfort levels. Proper airflow, temperatures and humidity levels have a huge impact on how comfortable you “feel” in your home. Your HVAC system might keep the temperature exactly at the thermostat setting you want, but uneven airflow and/or high humidity levels will still make your home feel uncomfortable.
- Longevity – When your central heating and air system is properly maintained and tuned-up, it will have a longer useful life. Putting statistics and studies aside, think about it logically. (Bring in the car comparison...) How many miles do you think you can get on your car before a major engine overhaul? 100,000 miles? 150,000 miles? Now think about how miles you can get if you don’t change the oil or air filters? See where we’re going with this? It is true that if you just ignore your air conditioning system it will do okay for a while, maybe even a few years. But it is an expensive investment and you want to protect it for more than just a few years.
Do you need more reasons? A smart person like yourself probably didn’t need to go past reason number 1. So if you want to know more about what the trained staff at GAMA Air can do to help you keep your system running at top notch, check out our webpage about our safety check and tune-up service. And of course we’re only a phone call away, at (310) 651-6936. But we’re only half-way through. Stay tuned for an upcoming post with the remainder of the 10 reasons to maintain your air conditioner or heat pump cooling system.
Do you have other questions that you’re eager to get a response on? You’re at the right place! Fill out the form on our “Ask an Expert” page, and our resident expert will get back to you quickly with an answer.