In about 3 weeks, when the winter turns into a deep heat, a lot of Northern Nevada residents are going to switch on their air conditioning for the first time in 8 months. When an air conditioner unit sits idle outside for months, collecting leaves and debris, a bit of maintenance is often needed to get it running properly. Make sure you’re preparing your air conditioner for summer — it isn’t hard, and you’ll be a lot more comfortable once the temperatures start rising! Dirt, debris, dirty filters and sometimes just a shut-off breaker can lead to down time for your AC when you need it most.
This past winter (that keeps going and going) was really windy and wet. This effects both the indoor (evaporator and fan unit) and outdoor (condenser) portions of your air conditioning system.
The outside system gets full of dirt, leaves, cotton and pollen. From a purely mechanical side any little particles that can get into the electrical connections or the fan can cause issues or efficiency concerns.
The indoor system can get dirty from all of the dirt and leaves that come inside, along with other Northern Nevada common issues like pollen, dust and even dog hair.
Outdoors
One of the most likely maintenance items is to clean out a coil that is full of debris. When we service the outside condenser we take care to clean out the coil so the unit runs efficient and doesn’t run too hot. We then clean out the electrical areas and fan area so that no dirt gets in the way. A condenser pulls in air from outside the unit, through the coils and then blows it up through the top. This action cools the refrigerant inside the tubes. When this coil is full of leaves and dirt this can block the air flow which causes cooling issues and can harm the equipment. If you see any dirt or debris it is worth it to have a trained professional service the unit.
Indoors
Next the technician moves inside and inspects the evaporator unit and fan system. Here we are looking to make sure everything is operating correctly and is clean. During this time we also replace the air filter. Dirty filters can plug up an air system, and besides just being unhealthy, can cause the system to freeze up due to lack of airflow.
System Check
Finally, we do operational tests of the equipment. We make sure the thermostat is programmed and working correctly. We will check the airflow coming into the house as well as check refrigerant pressures to make sure your system is properly charged.
Visual Inspection
Another valuable portion of the preventative maintenance service is the visual inspection of the unit. By looking at the unit components, wire connections, etc. We can oftentimes identify little issues before they turn into large problems. Sometimes it is just a loose wire and other times it may be a small refrigerant leak. It is great piece of mind to enter the summer season with the confidence that your system is ready to keep your home or office cool!
Ready to start preparing your air conditioner for summer? Our technicians are trained to make sure that this maintenance helps your equipment work to the best of its ability and to work more efficiently, too. Our team also works off of a very well thought out and proven maintenance checklist. They will share this with you and answer any questions you may have.
Call us today to set your appointment (775) 425-2525 or contact us here.
Make sure you ask about discounts available if you plan out your Spring and Fall maintenance in advance!
