As the nicer weather settles in throughout the Metuchen area, there is a lot of home maintenance that you may be focused on. While spring cleaning is common, maintaining your air conditioner may not be on your list of things to address. Let’s consider the benefits you can enjoy by scheduling professional maintenance for your air conditioner.

1. Reduced Cooling Bills

The cost of cooling your home in the summer months is something you may dread. While the temperatures in the Metuchen area are often mild during the summer, it does get warm enough to look for some relief. Maintenance is one way to help reduce the amount of money that you’ll end up paying to keep your home comfortable.

As your system runs, it slowly loses some of its efficiency because of airborne particles that get past your air filter and collect in your system. Add to that, parts of your air conditioner lose their efficiency due to general wear. Your maintenance technician will clean the system to ensure the proper air volume moves through. They will also tighten all electrical connections and make any necessary repairs that could be contributing to higher energy bills.

2. Better Indoor Air Quality

Indoor air quality is a concern for all homeowners, but specifically for anyone with allergies or asthma. Your HVAC system’s air filter helps remove the airborne contaminants that can exacerbate these conditions. However, when there are issues in the system that restrict the amount of air moving through it, even a clean air filter may not effectively remove contaminants.

One of the primary functions of routine maintenance is to look at the different issues that may be affecting the system’s airflow and resolve them. The technician cleans the circulating fan to make sure that it’s moving the proper amount of air. They’ll also look at the fan motor to make sure it’s spinning at the proper speed and that it’s balanced properly. They’ll inspect your air filter to make sure it doesn’t need changing. Finally, they’ll give your outside unit a proper cleaning to ensure air can move through the condensing coils and transfer heat to the air outside.

3. Fewer AC Repairs

Many AC breakdowns are the result of the system experiencing excessive strain. This can be easily prevented with routine maintenance. The airflow restrictions that often happen as the system ages are preventable. When electrical components are operating suboptimally, they add extra wear and tear. By regularly having your AC unit serviced, you reduce the wear on all of the components and avoid some repairs. This is especially true for those that happen early on.

4. Longer Service Life

The average central or ductless air conditioner will last roughly 10 to 25 years when properly maintained. However, many of the issues we just discussed will not only cause preventable repairs but also slowly erode away the number of years you can expect your AC to serve your home. By reducing the strain the system experiences through routine maintenance, especially cleaning and testing the refrigerant charge, you give your system the best opportunity to work through the entire expected service life.

When considering replacing your system, there are some factors to consider. Think about the amount of money that you’ve spent on repairs and maintenance in the past couple of seasons. If this amount is nearing approximately 50% of the cost of a replacement, it might be time to talk to an HVAC professional about a new AC installation.

5. More Consistent Household Cooling

Your home may not feel consistently cool when there’s less air moving through your air conditioning system. The areas near the vents or right by the ductless air handlers will be cool. However, areas away from the vents or air handlers will stay much warmer. Further, you’ll feel less air moving around your home, making it feel more stagnant. By focusing on tasks that will affect your airflow, such as cleaning and checking the function of the circulating fan and cleaning the evaporator coil, routine AC maintenance also helps keep your home’s temperature more consistent and comfortable.

6. Lower Indoor Humidity

The average humidity in Metuchen is around 70% during the summer. This is high enough to make your home feel humid and uncomfortable. Your air conditioner will naturally remove some humidity from the air as it circulates over the cold evaporator coils. When there isn’t enough air flowing through the system, it’s not going to remove as much moisture. By improving airflow through maintenance and ensuring the circulating fan is moving the proper air volume, you’re also increasing the amount of humidity the system will remove.

7. Protect the Factory Warranty

Most air conditioners come with a factory warranty to protect you against premature component or system failures. What many people fail to realize is that these warranties often come with terms you must abide by to keep the warranty valid. One of the most common details is the requirement for routine system maintenance. By getting your system properly maintained each year, you’ll ensure that the warranty is valid if you ever need it. This can save you a substantial amount of money if you encounter faulty components. Just make sure that you retain documentation of your routine maintenance appointments.

8. More Reliability

People with aging AC systems often have an underlying level of dread and stress about when their system will break down. Unfortunately, it’s when the summer temperatures hit their highest that this usually happens because that’s when the system experiences the most strain.

While maintaining your AC unit, your technician will run a series of tests that look at both individual components and how the system runs as a whole. During these tests, they’ll identify small problems that will eventually lead to major breakdowns. This gives you the opportunity to remedy those problems before you’re left without cooling assistance when you need it most. You’ll also be able to plan ahead for an AC replacement.

9. Reduce Noise

Noise is a common complaint about air conditioners. When an AC unit is running properly, you’ll hear a little hum from the compressor. There may also be minor noise coming from the condenser fan.

You’ll hear extra noise when the fan is off balance, if there’s an issue with the compressor or if the fan blades are loose. Routine maintenance can typically solve any problems that are occurring as well as identify if there’s a problem with your compressor. The result is that you’ll have less noise pollution in your home. This can also help avoid making a lot of noise that could disturb neighbors that live close to where your unit is located.

Residents of Metuchen have made First Choice Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning & Electrical their choice for trustworthy heating and cooling services for more than 20 years. Our team offers heating and AC maintenance, repair and installation, along with a full range of residential plumbing and indoor air quality services. Call to schedule your air conditioning maintenance with one of our NATE-certified technicians today.