Do you live in Sioux City, IA or the surrounding tri-state area? Then you’re already well accustomed to our balmy summer months, which have an average high temperature of 83 °F. That is not a civilized temperature to have inside your home, which is why you probably turn on your air conditioner when the Midwest sun starts blazing hard.
But here’s the burning question: is your air conditioner ready for several months of continual operation? Unless it’s properly maintained, it is not! Regular air conditioning maintenance is an absolute must during the warmer months – and you can trust your pals at O’Connor Heating & Cooling, a Sioux City HVAC contractor, to tell you why.
Regular AC Maintenance Prolongs Your Unit’s Lifespan
If your AC unit is a standard brand, such as Rheem, then you can reasonably expect it to last for about 10 to 15 years: longer if you maintain it regularly, and shorter if you do not. That’s because your AC contains filters, coils, fins and other sensitive components that wear out more quickly when they get dirty and warped.
If its evaporator and condenser coils aren’t cleaned every six months, an AC is at heightened risk of premature failure. The fins are especially important to maintain, as they restrict air flow and make the AC work harder when they become bent. Straightening AC fins isn’t impossible for a DIYer once they have invested in a cooling comb, although many homeowners would rather leave such sensitive work to an AC pro.
Regular AC Maintenance Saves Money
We just touched on one way AC maintenance saves money: it extends the unit’s lifespan, thus sparing you from having to purchase more replacement units than is absolutely necessary. AC maintenance also reduces the need for frequent repairs.
But the money you’ll save through regular maintenance will become most immediately apparent when you review your electricity bill. When an AC unit’s coils are clean and its fins are nice and straight, it exchanges heat with outdoor air more efficiently. You can save up to 15% on your monthly cooling bill as a result.
Regular AC Maintenance Saves Electricity
The average central AC unit expends between 3,000 and 5,000 watts of electricity when it runs for nine hours during a warm summer day. If you count residential and commercial together, the United States spends 10% of its electricity production on air conditioning alone!
AC maintenance won’t just save you money by reducing your home’s electricity consumption. It also helps conserve the environment, as electricity production is accountable for 25% of all greenhouse gas emissions.
Regular AC Maintenance Improves Indoor Air Quality
Here are a couple of statistics HVAC contractors can’t help but cite often:
- The average American spends 90% of their time indoors; and
- Concentrations of some pollutants are two to five times higher indoors than they are outside.
Minimizing your exposure to dust, pollen, and other contaminants won’t just help you breathe easier and avoid symptoms of allergies. It will also lower your risk of heart disease!
A regularly maintained AC will reduce the amounts of dust and other debris that accumulate inside and circulate around your ventilation ducts. It will also keep your home’s indoor humidity at 30 to 50%. Black mold cannot reproduce within that range, which means you and your family will avoid inhaling harmful microscopic spores.
Count on O’Connor Heating & Cooling for Regular AC Maintenance
Trust such an important part of home ownership to the experts. Contact O’Connor Heating & Cooling for AC maintenance today! Our air conditioner tune-up service includes fan and coil cleaning, airflow and refrigerant level measurements, electric terminal inspection, and thermostat control inspection – all steps that will save you money, reduce your electricity consumption, and promote a more healthful living environment. We also install high-quality Rheem AC units at all homes and businesses throughout the greater Sioux City, IA area, including those in Nebraska and South Dakota that fall within a 15-mile radius of our headquarters!
Recent Comments