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In the summertime in Arlington, TX, a properly maintained HVAC system is the most important appliance in your home. Summer temperatures can get unbearable, which is why you need to make sure you keep up with air conditioning service so that your HVAC system can keep up against high temperatures. Many people don’t realize that their air conditioning should be maintained at least once a year. While your system will probably turn on if it’s on the newer side without air conditioning service, you will be extending the lifespan of your unit if you proactively have it cleaned and inspected every year.
Proper air conditioning service is the key to extending the lifespan of your HVAC unit and improving the health of your family. In addition, it can help lower your energy bills because a properly maintained system will cool your home more evenly while using less energy to do so. These are just a few of the many benefits that come with booking a regular air conditioning service in Arlington, TX. Keep reading to discover a few more benefits that make it worth it to pick up the phone and call for servicing now.
Spring is one of the times to book your air conditioning service in Arlington, TX and it is on the way. Most people do not heavily use their AC system in the spring months and it gives you time to make any repairs that may be necessary depending on what the inspector finds. This way you can be sure that when you fire up your HVAC system in the summer it is ready to go and last the entire season without any issues. You don’t want to find yourself without AC on a scorching summer day.
Prevent Unexpected Breakdowns
The current pandemic has meant that a lot of people spend more time than ever in their homes. That means that you are relying on your air conditioning during the summer months more than ever as you are working from home and the kids are stuck at home. The last thing you want to happen is your face having an unexpected breakdown. Not only will this put you without AC for a day while it is being fixed, but summer is the busiest season for most air conditioning service companies. That means they may not be able to get to you right away and you will sit for days without heat.
The story gets even worse however because even if you get an air conditioning service to come to your Arlington, TX house immediately after your HVAC system breaks down it may require a special part that they don’t have on hand. IN this situation they will have to order it which means you have to wait three to five more days before it can be repaired. That is an eternity in the summer heat. The only situation that is worse than this is discovering that you need to replace your entire air conditioning system, which will lead to an even longer delay. You can save yourself all of the above-mentioned heartaches by just making sure that you schedule an annual air conditioning service so that you can stay ahead of things.
Reduce Humidity in Your Home
A properly functioning HVAC system will be able to control the humidity in your home as well as cooling it. Anyone who has experienced summer in Texas knows that there is quite a bit of humility in the air at all times. Humidity not only makes it pointless to cool your home since you will feel hot and sticky at all times, but it also can actually cause damage to your home. Constant humidity will encourage mold growth and moisture damage- both situations that are costly to remedy. Uneven cooling can do this as well as an ineffective AC system may cool the lower floors but then fail to properly reach the attic which in turn leads to mold growing and spreading. During an air conditioning service, all aspects of your system will be explored to ensure that they are functioning properly.
Prevent Heat Fatigue
Keep in mind that heat in Arlington, TX is not something that you can bear and grin. It actually can pose a serious health hard for your family. Too much exposure to high temperatures can cause heat fatigue, better known as heat exhaustion which can lead to dehydration and land you or your family members in the hospital. It can even be worrisome for your family pets who lack the ability.
In terms of health, lack of AC can actually affect your sleeping habits believe it or not. Sleeping at an ideal temperature has a lot to do with the quality of sleep that you receive, so an improperly maintained AC that breaks or unevenly cools may be the reason that you are not able to get a full night’s rest. Fixing that is easy, simply book an air conditioning service and troubleshoot any issues that may prevent your HVAC system from working properly in the future.
Boost Energy-Efficiency In Your Home
With rising energy costs, no one wants to pay extra for anything that they can avoid. An air conditioning service is a great way to reduce costs of home energy bills by as much as 25% in some cases. Over time like most major appliances, your AC will start to wear down and it will stop functioning as efficiently as it may have when you first purchased it. The point of an air conditioning service is to restore your unit to its previous efficiency.
There are a lot of things that can prevent your AC from working up to its full potential. Something as simple as dust and debris build-up can have dire effects on your system. A dirty filter and/or dirty fan unit will force the system to work harder to blow air past the dust-clogged areas. Not only will you be breathing in more dirt in the air, but you will be literally paying twice as much to breathe the dirty air versus clean air.
During an air conditioning service, the entire unit will be cleaned from the inner components to the ductwork ensuring that air has a clear passageway out of your vents. This improves your health and how much work your HVAC system has to do. It also reduces the chances that the system will break down from abnormal wear and tear.
As part of the cleaning service, the HVAC technician will also be on the lookout for broken parts or damaged components. Sometimes you can have a damaged piece that is still functioning and therefore not know it. This broken piece may be forcing other parts of your HVAC system to compensate and the end result is higher energy bills and a breakdown that is waiting to happen. Getting ahead of this problem means your system will function better and your electricity bill will drop during the long Arlington, TX summers. When you think about how many seasons your AC is expected to function for, lower electricity bills make the small cost of air conditioning service well worth it.
Better Ventilation
If you are using your AC system during the spring, summer, and fall months then you probably have your windows shut to keep in the cool air. That means that the only source of ventilation in your home becomes your HVAC system. That is a pretty heavy responsibility for one appliance, and one that you need to support. Most people don’t realize how heavily they lean on their HVAC to provide proper ventilation because there is literally no other way that fresh air is going to get into their home.
A properly maintained AC system will provide your home with cool, clean, and filtered air on a continual basis. You need to do your part in maintaining this aspect by changing the air filter every three months. Depending on how much dust is able to invade your home you may need to change your filters more often. A home with children and pets that track everything or adults that work in dirtier fields such as construction may want to consider changing their air filters more often or investing in higher quality air filters.
Keep in mind that the air filters are not the only place that dust will collect. In the same way that you may want to change your air filters more frequently in a high traffic home, you may also want to book an air conditioning service more often in a home with a lot of regular traffic. This is because dust gets trapped in your ductwork and your HVAC unit and therefore can build up and circulate around your home. Cleaning your AC system can help keep it at bay.
What to Expect During an Air Conditioning Service
If you are sold on the idea of air conditioning service you may wonder what to expect when the technician comes to your home for the service. You can help by ensuring the professional has a clear path to your HVAC system both indoors and outdoors. Ensure that their vehicle can get to your outdoor unit and that there is no obstruction preventing them from doing so.
Then you will want to go down to your basement or utility closet and clean a three-foot path down to your HVAC system. Ensure that the area around your HVAC system is clean so that the technician can easily reach your HVAC system and work on it. During the cleaning, the technician will need to look inside of your unit and outside of it which means that they need room to work.
They will likely start outside of your by checking the condenser unit and the coils. After cleaning and inspecting the outdoor components they will look at the venting that leads inside of the home and make sure that it is properly sealed and cleaned. Any debris that may be blocking the passageway of air indoors will be cleaned.
At this point, they will then go inside of the home and inspect your HVAC unit. This includes looking at all major components including the fan to ensure that air is being properly pushed up into your home. Along the way, they will clean out any dust they see and remove debris or not if you have any pieces that look like they are wearing down. Replacing these pieces proactively as noted is one way they can save you from an expensive and inconvenient breakdown down the road.
They will then look at the ductwork leading up out of the HVAC system and into your home. Dust is common here as things can fall backward out of your vents towards the HVAC system. They will clean it out and then inspect the ducts throughout your home. FOr this reason, you need to make sure that you create clear passages to all major ducts around your home. Make sure that nothing is blocking the vents or hiding them away, especially if you have floor vents. This is also a good time for a reminder that you should never have anything sitting on your heating and cooling vent as this itself can prevent your home from properly cooling.
Once this is done the HVAC technician will likely approach you and talk about what they found and if they recommend any replacements before the season kicks off. The average air conditioning service takes two to four hours, but the size of your home and how frequently you have an air conditioning service performed will influence how long it takes the tech. If you are ready to book an appointment in Arlington, TX give Minuteman Heating & Air a call and we will be happy to come to take a look.