Summer officially begins in three days (although with the temperature being 95 with 45 percent humidity outside today, one would think it was already here). For those of us here in the Upstate of South Carolina, the thought of Summer brings on a sense of dread. From cringing at the thought of the intense heat, the stifling humidity, etc. Thank goodness for the blessing of air conditioning, right? Well, what if your air conditioning system breaks, freezes, or flat out stops working? The only thing worse than the heat is having no place to take refuge from it. Not to mention the expensive HVAC service calls and repairs. Makes you shudder, doesn’t it? Did you know that there is something you can do to prevent emergency service calls and system breakage?

Most manufacturers recommend that you have your heating and air unit tuned up every six months, generally at the beginning of Spring and the start of the Fall. An HVAC unit is very similar to a car. You have to change the oil and rotate your tires every 3,000 miles in order to keep your vehicle running smoothly. Neglecting to do so will lead to an expensive repair or a a need for a new car. While people are generally willing to put the money down to maintain their cars, seeing them as a necessary expense, many neglect to dive into their budgets to invest in keeping their air conditioners running smoothly. That is understandable, especially given the ever-rising cost of living these days. But, in the end, just like when you neglect maintenance on your car, the everyday wear and tear will eventually lead to an emergency arising or your system going out on you, which leads to a far costlier repair or a complete system replacement. Not to mention, if your AC is not running efficiently, it runs longer and works harder to make your home comfortable than it needs to, leading to you having to fork out more on your energy bills.

So, you are probably wondering exactly what a tune up entails. Semiannual Preventative HVAC Maintenance includes several key checks to ensure that the system is running efficiently, and more importantly, in the case of your heat pump, safely. A maintenance visit generally consists of checking the electrical wiring connections, suctioning the drains, lubricating the moving components, adjusting belt tensions, looking at the contactor and capacitors, changing the air filter, checking and cleaning the coils, etc. All of that serves to guarantee that you can save at least $125 on your energy costs during the Summer (compared to previous Summers) and up to $100 in the winter, as well as that your system runs more smoothly and lasts longer.

In addition to twice per year maintenance, you can also help ensure energy efficiency and better air quality in your home by changing your air filter once per month. It seems like common sense that your filter needs to be changed regularly, but you’d be surprised at just how many people put it off thinking it to be an unnecessary expense. A recent survey said that 97 percent of people know they should change their filter, but only 47 percent actually regularly do it. People also buy those air filters that claim they last up to three months with the idea that it will save them money. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Those thick filters tend to accumulate more dust and dirt, leading to your air conditioner having to run harder and for a longer period of time to cool your home. After a little while, a dirty built up filter will cause the system to freeze or the condensation pan to fill up and overflow, which will stop your unit and cause leaks if you have an attic system. Irregular changing of a fiberglass 1-month filter can do the same thing to unit, leading to higher energy costs and expensive service calls.

So, if you really want to save money and beat the heat this Summer, consider investing in a maintenance agreement or at least schedule a tuneup. The Team You Can Trust will be more than happy to set you up with one. Just give our office a call. And remember — change those air filters monthly!